Suicides after pregnancy

doi:10.1136/bmj.314.7084.902

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Mental health may deteriorate as a direct effect of induced abortion

Christopher Ll Morgan, Research officera,
Marc Evans, Research registrara,
John R Peters, Consultant physiciana,
Craig Currie, Research officerb

^a Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XW
^b Department of Public Health Medicine, Bro Taf Health Authority, Temple of Peace and Health, Cardiff CF1 3NW
^c Cherry Knowle Hospital, Sunderland SR2 0NB
^d Unit of Statistics, Registers and Information Systems, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), PO 220, 00531 Helsinki, Finland
^e National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health, 00300 Helsinki

Editor–Mika Gissler and colleagues state that suicides occur more commonly after induced abortion than after a pregnancy resulting in live birth.1 We linked admissions for miscarriage, induced abortion, and normal delivery to admissions for suicide attempts in our health authority (population 408 000) during 1991-5 (table 1).

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Table 1

Frequency of admissions (rate per 1000 population) for attempted suicide by pregnancy event in women aged 15-49 in South Glamorgan Health Authority, 1991-5

The age standardised relative risk of admission for attempted suicide compared with the non-gestational female population (ages 15-49) followed a similar pattern to that reported for mortality from suicide1: it was 2.17 (95% confidence interval 1.45 to 3.24, P<0.001) for women admitted for miscarriage, 1.92 (1.29 to 2.88, P<0.001) for those admitted for induced abortion, and 0.94 (0.73 to 1.20, NS) for those admitted for normal delivery.

The age adjusted relative risk of suicide admission for women admitted for miscarriage compared with women admitted …