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Studies of suicide risk often highlight the role of untreated psychiatric illness. However, suicidality may not always be a product of illness such as depression but might also emerge with overwhelming social distress and events, such as a new diagnosis of serious medical illness. In a 15-year observational, population-based study using registry data on more than 6 million Swedes, researchers examined the effect of a cancer diagnosis on suicide or cardiovascular death. Analyses controlled for sociodemographics and serious medical and psychiatric illness.
Approximately 530,000 people received a cancer diagnosis. Recent cancer diagnoses were associated with increased risks for both suicide (relative risks: first week postdiagnosis, 12.6; first…