“The higher the disability burden due to medical morbidity, the higher the risk of suicide,” findings reveal  

Medical conditions significantly increase suicide risk among people without mental disorders, says a study by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

In a nationwide survey of 6,635,857 individuals from Denmark, the journal found that “most medical conditions were associated with a substantially increased risk of suicide and that socioeconomic position and immigrant status played only a minor role in this context.”

The study noted: “The higher the disability burden due to medical morbidity, the higher the risk of suicide.”

The research categorized suicides resulting from mental disorders as a distinct group. “Those with mental disorder appear to be at such elevated risk of suicide that additional disability associated with medical conditions has little impact in this regard,” it found.

This is the first study to use  data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to examine the relationship between the impact of medical conditions and suicide among individuals with and without mental disorder.

“The findings from these analyses were somewhat surprising,” the study highlighted. “Specifically, for those without mental disorder, but, notably, not for those with mental disorder, medical conditions were associated with an increased risk of suicide in a dose-response–like manner. “

The study reveals association with suicide was particularly strong for gastrointestinal conditions, cancer, and hematological conditions (driven by HIV/AIDS).

“That adjustment for socioeconomic position and immigrant status had relatively little impact on the strength of these associations is likely due to the fact that Denmark is among the most socioeconomically equal countries in the world and provides universal health care to its citizens,” it explained.

The survey sees the mental disorder among “the far strongest risk factors for suicide,” with individuals experiencing both mental disorder and a medical condition particularly prone to taking their lives.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is a major global public health issue, with over 700,000 deaths annually. World Suicide Prevention Day falls on September 10 and the 2024-2026 theme is, "Changing the Narrative on Suicide," with a focus on reducing stigma and promoting open conversations.

Also read: World Bipolar Day: Raise awareness, eliminate social stigma