Risk of Suicide Attempt in Poststroke Patients: A Population‐Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: This nationwide population‐based cohort study evaluated the risk of and risk factors for suicide attempt in poststroke patients in Taiwan. METHODS AND RESULTS: The poststroke and nonstroke cohorts consisted of 713 690 patients and 1 426 009 controls, respectively. Adults (aged >18 years) who received new stroke diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM; codes 430–438) between 2000 and 2011 were included in the poststroke cohort. We calculated the adjusted hazard ratio for suicide attempt (ICD‐9‐CM codes E950–E959) after adjustment for age, sex, monthly income, urbanization level, occupation category, and various comorbidities. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to measure the cumulative incidence of suicide attempt, and the Fine and Gray method was used as a competing event when estimating death subhazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals between groups. The cumulative incidence of suicide attempt was higher in the poststroke cohort, and the adjusted hazard ratio of suicide attempt was 2.20 (95% confidence interval, 2.04–2.37) compared with that of the controls. The leading risk factors for poststroke suicide attempt were earning low monthly income (<660 US dollars), living in less urbanized regions, doing manual labor, and having a stroke before age 50 years. The attempted suicide risk did not differ significantly between male and female patients in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These results convey crucial information to clinicians and governments for preventing suicide attempt in poststroke patients in Taiwan and other Asian countries.