Risk for suicide two times higher for those with epilepsy vs. general population

The prevalence of suicide is higher among those with epilepsy compared with the general population, according to a study published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior.

Sara Melin, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the incidence of suicide for people with epilepsy in Sweden and compared incidence with the general population. Overall, 60,952 individuals with a diagnosis of epilepsy were identified in the Swedish Patient Register between 1990 and 2005 and were alive in 2006; 190 cases of suicide were recorded among them.

The researchers found that the overall suicide incidence among people with epilepsy was 40.0 per 100,000 person-years. Incidence was highest at ages 45 to 64 years (61.3) and seemed higher in men than women. Individuals with epilepsy had twice the risk for suicide compared with the general population (standardized mortality ratio, 2.03); the excess risk was more pronounced in women than men (standardized mortality ratios, 2.70 and 1.80, respectively). The most common method of suicide was intoxication (50%), followed by hanging, cutting weapons, and guns (25% combined).

“These findings are likely applicable to similar countries,” the authors write. “Additionally, we highlight the need for cautious prescription practices for epilepsy medications due to their potential misuse.”

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