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Suicidal behaviour in national and international adult adoptees

A Swedish cohort study

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Abstract

Background

Previous studies have shown an elevated risk for suicidal behaviour in adolescent and young adult international adoptees. Comparisons between national and international adoptees in this respect have been inconclusive.

Methods

A total of 6,065 international adoptees were compared to 7,340 national adoptees and 1,274,312 non-adopted study subjects, all born between 1963 and 1973 and followed up until 2002 using the National Swedish Registers. Cox regression of person years was used in multivariate analyses to compare risks for suicide death and suicide attempt.

Results

International adoptees had clearly increased risks for suicide attempt (risk ratio 4.5 [95% confidence interval 3.7–5.5]) and suicide death (3.6 [2.6–5.2]) after adjustments for sex, age and socio-economic factors. National adoptees had lower risks than international adoptees, but had increased risks compared to non-adoptees (suicide attempt, 2.8 [2.2–3.5]; suicide death, 2.5 [1.8–3.3]). Biological parents' morbidity explained approximately one third of the increased risk for national adoptees. Female international adoptees' risk for suicide attempt was elevated to an even greater extent than in male international adoptees, when compared to the general population.

Conclusions

Clinicians should be aware that an increased risk for suicide and suicide attempts in international adoptees is a topic that is equally relevant to child and adult psychiatry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Division of Psychosocial Factors and Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Annika von Borczyskowski & Frank Lindblad MD, PhD

  2. Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Annika von Borczyskowski

  3. National Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Box 230, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    Annika von Borczyskowski & Frank Lindblad MD, PhD

  4. Centre for Epidemiology, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Hjern MD, PhD & Bo Vinnerljung PhD

  5. Dept. of Clinical Sciences, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Hjern MD, PhD

  6. Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work Practice, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden

    Bo Vinnerljung PhD

  7. Dept. of Social Work, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden

    Bo Vinnerljung PhD

Authors
  1. Annika von Borczyskowski
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  2. Anders Hjern MD, PhD
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  3. Frank Lindblad MD, PhD
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  4. Bo Vinnerljung PhD
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Correspondence to Annika von Borczyskowski.

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von Borczyskowski, A., Hjern, A., Lindblad, F. et al. Suicidal behaviour in national and international adult adoptees. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 95–102 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0974-2

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