The risk of suicide may be related to an individual's ability to solve problems in times of crisis or to adjust to childhood traumas, researchers suggest.

Twenty-Six Years of Monitoring

Researchers analyzed the results of four intelligence tests performed at conscription into military service  for 987,308 Swedish men. The men were monitored for up to 26 years and suicides were recorded.

Better performance on the tests was associated with a reduced risk of suicide. The strongest associations were with the logic test score: The risk of suicide was three times higher among those who scored the lowest compared to the highest scorers.

Results Not Likely Due to Chance

The strength of the link and the large sample size suggest that this finding is unlikely to be due to chance, the researchers conclude. One possible explanation could be that influences on brain development during childhood also increase an individual's susceptibility to mental illness and hence suicide.

Alternatively, the risk of suicide may be related to an individual's ability to solve problems in times of crisis or to adjust to childhood traumas, they suggest. Click here to view full paper.

Suicide Facts

Seventy-five to eighty percent of college students who kill themselves are boys, although more girls attempt suicide, according to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Boys are more involved than girls in all forms of aggressive and violent behavior.

Ninety-five percent are suffering from mental illness, usually depression, says AFSP. If depressed, substance abuse, anxiety, impulsivity, rage, hopelessness and desperation increase the risk.

Efforts to prevent suicide include going with someone to a counselor or talking to someone else who might influence the person at risk to seek help. Saving a life is more important than violating a confidence, the AFPS stresses.