Suicide, Cancer and Depression

Whitlock, F. A.

doi:10.1192/s0007125000283335

Cited by 52 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The relationship between cancer and suicide has been the subject of some discussion (Whitlock, 1978). In the present study nine of the 104 had cancer discovered at postmortem although only three were aware of the illness in life.…”

Section: Case History 2 a 72-year-old Single Womanmentioning

confidence: 55%

Elderly suicide in london: An analysis of coroners' inquests

Cattell

1988

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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SUMMARYThe article describes the social, physical and psychological features of 104 consecutive elderly suicides, using information obtained from coroners' inquests. An age and sex matched cohort of 51 accidental deaths was used as a control. The suicide cohort was significantly more depressed and in pain, had experienced more previous depressive episodes and suicide attempts, and were less confused compared to the control group. The study confirms the importance of recognized risk factors: 61% were living alone, with 9% complaining of loneliness. Only one individual, on available data, attended a day hospital or day centre. Physical illness was common, with at least 56% having ill health prior to death and 63% showing postmortem abnormalities. Twenty-two per cent revealed abnormal cerebral pathology. Depressive illness was prominent, with 79% exhibiting depressive symptoms prior to death. Only 12 individuals were taking antidepressants and only one was on lithium. Despite contact with primary care services, only 20% had been seen by psychiatrists within three months of death. The roles of alcohol, drugs, abnormal cerebral changes and personality factors are discussed along with considerations for prevention.

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Section: Case History 2 a 72-year-old Single Womanmentioning

confidence: 55%

Elderly suicide in london: An analysis of coroners' inquests

Cattell

1988

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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“…Severe physical diseases like cancer are regarded as important contributing factors in suicide, especially among the elderly (Whitlock, 1986). The suicide rate tends to be somewhat higher among cancer patients compared to the population in general (Sainsbury, 1955; Whitlock, 1978; Louhivuori and Hakama, 1979; Marshall et d . , 1983; Allebeck and Bolund, 1991; Storm et a/., 1992).…”

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confidence: 99%

Do cancer suicides differ from others?

et al. 1994

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Based on a nationwide psychological autopsy study comprising all suicides committed in Finland during one year (n = 1397), victims who had suffered from cancer (n = 60) were compared with other suicides. Cancer suicides were significantly older and more often male, which required adjusting the control group (n = 60) for age and sex. The cancer suicides had more pain and were more often physically disabled. The social network of cancer patients was stronger: 93% of them and 65% of the control cases had a significant other. Family histories of mental disorder were more common in the control group. Cancer was the main underlying factor in the suicide process in 62% of the cancer patients and a contributing factor in 23%. Background factors of the suicide process of the cancer patients with terminal illness (n = 18) were different from those with cancer in remission and from victims among the general population. The frequency of physical symptoms and of depression before suicide in cancer patients emphasizes the need for more competent palliative care and psychological support for cancer patients. METHOD SubjectsThis study was carried out in Finland (population 5 million), a country with a high suicide mortality (

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“…It has been stated that suicide occurs more frequently in patients with serious medical illnesses than in the general population [20][21][22][23][24], and it is felt by many that it is not uncommon for a person with far advanced cancer to commit suicide. The prevalence of cancer among suicides has been enlightened in quite a few reports, and figures ranging from 8 to 234 per 1,000 have been reported (for refs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neoplastic disease in a medicolegal autopsy material

Gezelius¹,

Eriksson²

1988

Z Rechtsmed

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Only a small fraction of sudden unexpected deaths are caused by neoplastic disease and thus subject ot medicolegal autopsy. The medicolegal autopsy forms an opportunity to study not only medically diagnosed and treated neoplasms, but also the natural evolution of untreated disease. In a series of 7,020 consecutive medicolegal autopsies in northern Sweden, we found 171 cases with malignant and/or intracranial neoplasms. In 41 cases, sudden death was caused by previously unknown tumors. The most common mechanisms of death in this group were disseminated cancer, intracranial tumors, pulmonary thromboembolism, hemoptysis, and aspiration of blood, and the most common locations were the bronchi and the lung. In some of these cases, the mechanism was sometimes dramatic, raising a question of violent death or intoxication. In 30 cases, sudden unexpected death was caused by previously known tumors, and also in this group disseminated cancer was the most common cause of death, and the most common locations were the bronchi and the lung. In 22 cases, tumors were found suicidal cases; in 14 of these, the tumor was considered to be a major causative factor to the suicide, while in eight cases the tumor was considered to be an incidental finding. The expected number of cancers in the 1,060 suicides investigated in this series was 27, according to the official cancer prevalence data. Thus, a possible over-representation of suicides among persons with cancer seems doubtful and needs further exploration.

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Suicide, Cancer and Depression

Cited by 52 publications

References 18 publications

Elderly suicide in london: An analysis of coroners' inquests

Elderly suicide in london: An analysis of coroners' inquests

Do cancer suicides differ from others?

Neoplastic disease in a medicolegal autopsy material

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