Are risk factors for suicide universal? A case-control study in India.

OBJECTIVE The majority of suicides in India occur in the young. Indian society, religion and culture are very different to those in the West. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors for completed suicide. METHOD A population-based case-control study employing the 'psychological autopsy' technique was conducted. In total, 100 completed suicides and 100 neighbourhood controls were studied. RESULTS The odds ratios for the risk factors were 19.5 (CI, 7.32-73.35) for presence of an Axis I disorder, 12.75 (CI, 4.69-48.59) for family history of psychopathology and 15.1 (CI, 2.4-93.9) for life events in the previous month. CONCLUSION The presence of an Axis I disorder, family history of psychopathology and recent life events were all found to be significant risk factors. These findings suggest that risk factors for completed suicide are universal across countries and cultures.