One in 20 French people has already made a suicide attempt. In 2011, 11,400 deaths by suicide were recorded in France – three times more men than women, especially after 60 years. On the other hand, young people are not spared: suicide is the second cause of death among 15-24 year olds, just behind road accidents.*
According to a new study conducted by the University of Toronto (in Canada), people who suffer from arthritis are 46% more likely to attempt suicide during their lifetime. To reach this conclusion, the Canadian researchers worked for 4 years (from 2012) with a panel of more than 20,000 volunteers: 4885 adults suffering fromarthritis and 16,859 healthy adults.
Conclusion ? “There is a real link between arthritis and attempted suicide”, explains Natasha Ramzan, co-author of this work, published in the specialized journal Rheumatology International. “Even taking into account certain factors, such as age, social situation, pain or psychological disorders… we observe an increase of about 46% compared to healthy subjects.”
A risk factor as serious as depression
“Furthermore, in adults who currently have arthritis but have experienced abuse and/or sexual abuse during their childhood, this figure is further multiplied by 3. And when the patient is young or comes from a precarious social background, this also plays a role.” Scientists even believe that arthritis would be a risk factor as serious as depression…
Arthritis (or “chronic inflammatory rheumatism”) covers many joint problems: tendinitis, bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis… It occurs when there is inflammation of the synovial membrane, the tissue that lines the inside of a joint. In France, experts estimate that 650,000 people will suffer from arthritis in their lifetime. Patients who may deserve psychological follow-up…
*Source: National Suicide Observatory, 2014 annual report.
