Factors associated with suicide mortality among reproductive age women: a case-control study

ObjectiveExamine demographic, psychosocial, pregnancy-related, and healthcare utilisation factors associated with suicide mortality among reproductive age women.MethodsData from nine health care systems in the Mental Health Research Network were included. A case-control study design was used in which 290 reproductive age women who died by suicide (cases) from 2000 to 2015 were matched with 2,900 reproductive age women from the same healthcare system who did not die by suicide (controls). Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse associations between patient characteristics and suicide.ResultsWomen of reproductive age who died by suicide were more likely to have mental health (aOR = 7.08, 95% CI: 5.17, 9.71) or substance use disorders (aOR = 3.16, 95% CI: 2.19, 4.56) and to have visited the emergency department in the year prior to index date (aOR = 3.47, 95% CI: 2.50, 4.80). Non-Hispanic White women (aOR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.97) and perinatal (pregnant or postpartum) women were less likely to have died by suicide (aOR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.58).ConclusionsReproductive age women with mental health and/or substance use disorders, prior emergency department encounters, or who are of racial or ethnic minority status were at increased risk of suicide mortality and may benefit from routine screening and monitoring. Future research should further examine the relationship between pregnancy-related factors and suicide mortality.

Automated summary

This study examines the factors associated with suicide mortality among reproductive age women, including demographic, psychosocial, pregnancy-related, and healthcare utilisation factors. The findings indicate that reproductive age women with mental health and/or substance use disorders, prior emergency department visits, or who are from racial or ethnic minority groups are at a higher risk of suicide mortality. On the other hand, non-Hispanic White women and perinatal women (pregnant or postpartum) are less likely to die by suicide. The study highlights the importance of routine screening and monitoring for women with mental health and substance use disorders, previous emergency department encounters, or who are from minority groups, and suggests further research on the relationship between pregnancy-related factors and suicide mortality.