Problematic Conclusions regarding Suicide Prevention: A Response to ten Have et al, 2009

Abstract

of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry by Dr Margreet ten Have and colleagues.1 We wish to applaud the authors for a sophisticated and thorough analysis that included the strongest risk factors for suicide, suicide attempt, and suicidal ideation, such as previous history of suicidal behaviour, psychiatric disorder, and parental psychiatric history as well as other putative risk factors in a robust population-based sample. Despite the strength of this manuscript, we feel that it has one substantive weakness-its conclusions do not follow from its results. This is unfortunate because the paper has good standing on its own merits.