(Suicide in patients with stroke: epidemiological study)

Women and people under the age of 60 years of both sexes who have had a stroke, have a significantly increased risk of suicide, suggest Dr Elsebeth Stenager et al in this week's BMJ. The authors note that depression is common in stroke patients and particularly in female patients, which may explain their findings. With this information in mind, Stenager et al suggest that when caring for a stroke patient a greater emphasis should be placed on the psychological aspects of living with the impairment imposed by stroke.

Contact:

Dr Elsebeth Nylev Stenager, Registrar, Department of Social Medicine, Odense Municipality, Vindegade 18, 5000 Odense C, Denmark (no telephone number available).