Sex Differences in Adolescent Suicides in Norway, 1990–1992

Abstract

All suicides in persons under 20 years in Norway in the time period 1990–1992 (99 males, 30 females) were included in a postmortem case‐control study with seven controls for each suicide, focusing on gender differences. Few sex differences between the suicide completers were evident, in spite of the difference in suicide rates (M/F rate ratio = 3.0). Females more often attempted suicide (p= .05), more often wrote farewell notes (p= .03), and used less violent suicide methods (ns). The adjusted risk for suicide related to affective disorders (FemaleOR= 22,1; MaleOR= 24.0, bothp= .000) and disruptive disorders (femaleOR= 14,7,ns; maleOR= 5.0,p= .002) differed little, as did the effect of frequent use of alcohol or substances (femaleOR= 0.4,ns; maleOR= 0.4,ns).