Recent life events, social support and suicide.

Abstract

The occurrence of recent life events during the last 3 months, and social support received were studied in a nationwide suicide population (N = 1,067) in Finland. Recent life events were reported in 80% of the suicides. Job problems (28%), family discord (23%), somatic illness (22%), financial trouble (18%), unemployment (16%), separation (14%), death (13%) and illness in family (12%) were the most common life events. Sex differences were found in recent life events: any life event, separation, financial trouble, job problems and unemployment were more common among males. The mean number of life events was also higher among males. Living alone was more common among female victims. Females had children more often than males. In terms of friendships, more females had a close friend, whereas more males had friends sharing common interests. Females had complained of loneliness more often than males. Those females who had lived alone had encountered a recent death more often than other females. The male victims who had lived alone had experienced separation, financial trouble and unemployment during the last 3 months more frequently than other males, suggesting a concurrent stressor effect of these recent life events with living alone in male suicides.