Results from a preliminary US study suggest that individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to attempt suicide than those without the condition. "Previous studies have consistently documented strong links between COPD and depression," observes Renee Goodwin (Columbia University, New York) in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. But she adds: "To our knowledge, no previous study has specifically examined the link between COPD and suicidal thoughts and behavior." To address this, Goodwin examined data on a nationally-representative sample of 5692 individuals, aged at least 18 years, who participated in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) between 2001 and 2004. As part of the NCS-R, participants were asked whether they had a history of seriously thinking about committing suicide and/or had ever attempted suicide. They were also asked whether they had ever been diagnosed with a chronic lung condition, such as COPD or emphysema, depression, or panic disorder, and supplied information regarding smoking history and substance use. In total, 147 participants reported a diagnosis of COPD, 1130 reported a history of suicide ideation, and 391 reported a history of suicide attempts. Goodwin found that 27.2% of participants with COPD reported a history of suicide ideation and 15.0% reported a history of suicide attempts, compared with 19.6% and 6.6%, respectively, of those without COPD. The association between COPD and an increased risk for suicide attempts remained significant after accounting for demographics, lifetime major depression, panic disorder, drug and alcohol dependence, and nicotine dependence, at an odds ratio (OR) of 2.43. The link between COPD and an increased risk for suicide ideation also remained significant after accounting for demographics, lifetime major depression, panic disorder, and drug and alcohol dependence, at an OR of 1.84, but became nonsignificant after further adjustment for nicotine dependence (OR=1.56). Goodwin concludes: "Our findings provide initial evidence that there is a relationship between COPD and suicidal behavior among adults in the community." However, she cautions that "the present results should be considered preliminary," and that "future studies that can use longitudinal data to more closely examine the sequence of onsets are needed." Source : MedWire News - Most Popular Stories - COPD linked to increased suicide risk
