The association between premorbid cognitive ability and social functioning and suicide among young men: A historical-prospective cohort study

Mark Weiser, Daphna Fenchel, Nomi Werbeloff, Shira Goldberg, Eyal Fruchter, Abraham Reichenberg, Shimon Burshtein, Matthew Large, Michael Davidson, Gad Lubin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Previous studies have found associations between low cognitive ability and later completed suicide. The aim of this study was to examine the association between cognitive ability and social functioning in adolescence, and later completed suicide in a large population-based longitudinal study. Data from the Israeli Draft Board Register for 634,655 Israeli male adolescents aged 16 and 17 was linked to a causes-of-death data registry, with a mean follow-up of 10.6 years for completed suicide. Our results show that in males without a psychiatric diagnosis, both low (adjusted HR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.19–1.92) and high (adjusted HR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.04–1.77) cognitive ability, and very poor (adjusted HR=2.30, 95% CI: 1.34–3.95) and poor (adjusted HR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.34–2.07) social functioning were associated with increased risk for later completed suicide; however positive predictive values were low (PPVs=0.09% and 0.10%, for low cognitive ability and very poor or poor social functioning, respectively). No association between cognitive ability or social functioning and risk for suicide was found in males with a psychiatric diagnosis. These data do not support the clinical utility of screening for such potential predictors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages7
JournalEuropean Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2017

Keywords

  • Cognitive ability
  • Social functioning
  • Suicide

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Clinical Neurology
  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Pharmacology (medical)
  • Biological Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

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