Case-control study, 2000
Are suicide attempts more common at certain times in the menstrual cycle?
Suicide attempts were more common during the follicular phase, especially during menstruation, than expected by chance. However, the methods for measuring cycle phase disagreed with each other, so more research is needed.
What they did
Researchers studied 134 women who went to a hospital emergency room after a suicide attempt and compared them to 108 healthy women. They determined what phase of the menstrual cycle each woman was in using clinical observation and blood hormone tests.
What they found
The number of suicide attempts during the follicular phase, particularly during the menstrual phase, was significantly higher than expected. Agreement between the two methods for measuring cycle phase was low (kappa 0.40 to 0.50).
What it means for you
There may be a link between early cycle phases and higher suicide risk, but the measurements of cycle phase were inconsistent. The study could not control for other factors. Researchers recommend new studies using reliable hormone testing.
134
women after suicide attempt
108
healthy control women
0.40-0.50
agreement between methods
About the study
- Original title
- The relationship between menstrual cycle phases and suicide attempts
- Authors
- Baca-García E, Díaz-Sastre C, de Leon J et al.
- Journal
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 134
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200001000-00008
Topics
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