TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal suicide in Italy
AU - The Regional Maternal Mortality Working Group
AU - Lega, Ilaria
AU - Maraschini, Alice
AU - D’Aloja, Paola
AU - Andreozzi, Silvia
AU - Spettoli, Daniela
AU - Giangreco, Manuela
AU - Vichi, Monica
AU - Loghi, Marzia
AU - Donati, Serena
AU - Alberico, Salvatore
AU - Antonelli, Antonello
AU - Asole, Simona
AU - Basevi, Vittorio
AU - Borsari, Silvana
AU - Cetin, Irene
AU - Dardanoni, Gabriella
AU - Di Lallo, Domenico
AU - Dubini, Valeria
AU - Germinario, Cinzia
AU - Gnaulati, Lisa
AU - Lupi, Camilla
AU - Loverro, Giuseppe
AU - Martinelli, Pasquale
AU - Mazzone, Arianna
AU - Merlino, Luca
AU - Meloni, Alessandra
AU - Monasta, Lorenzo
AU - Mondo, Luisa
AU - Parisi, Davide
AU - Pezzella, Marcello
AU - Polo, Arianna
AU - Puglia, Monia
AU - Rusciani, Raffaella
AU - Voller, Fabio
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Suicide has been identified as one of the most common causes of death among women within 1 year after the end of pregnancy in several high-income countries. The aim of this study was to provide the first estimate of the maternal suicide ratio and a description of the characteristics of women who died by suicide during pregnancy or within 1 year after giving birth, induced abortion or miscarriage (i.e., maternal suicide) in 10 Italian regions, covering 77% of total national births. Maternal suicides were identified through the linkage between regional death registries and hospital discharge databases. Background population data was collected from the national hospital discharge, abortion and mortality databases. The previous psychiatric history of the women who died by maternal suicide was retrieved from the regionally available data sources. A total of 67 cases of maternal suicide were identified, corresponding to a maternal suicide ratio of 2.30 per 100,000 live births in 2006–2012. The suicide rate was 1.18 per 100,000 after giving birth (n = 2,876,193), 2.77 after an induced abortion (n = 650,549) and 2.90 after a miscarriage (n = 379,583). The majority of the women who died by maternal suicide (34/57) had a previous psychiatric history; 15/18 previously diagnosed mental disorders were not registered along with the index pregnancy obstetric records. Suicide is a relevant cause of maternal death in Italy. The continuity of care between primary, mental health and maternity care were found to be critical. Clinicians should be aware of the issue, as they may play an important role in preventing suicide in their patients.
AB - Suicide has been identified as one of the most common causes of death among women within 1 year after the end of pregnancy in several high-income countries. The aim of this study was to provide the first estimate of the maternal suicide ratio and a description of the characteristics of women who died by suicide during pregnancy or within 1 year after giving birth, induced abortion or miscarriage (i.e., maternal suicide) in 10 Italian regions, covering 77% of total national births. Maternal suicides were identified through the linkage between regional death registries and hospital discharge databases. Background population data was collected from the national hospital discharge, abortion and mortality databases. The previous psychiatric history of the women who died by maternal suicide was retrieved from the regionally available data sources. A total of 67 cases of maternal suicide were identified, corresponding to a maternal suicide ratio of 2.30 per 100,000 live births in 2006–2012. The suicide rate was 1.18 per 100,000 after giving birth (n = 2,876,193), 2.77 after an induced abortion (n = 650,549) and 2.90 after a miscarriage (n = 379,583). The majority of the women who died by maternal suicide (34/57) had a previous psychiatric history; 15/18 previously diagnosed mental disorders were not registered along with the index pregnancy obstetric records. Suicide is a relevant cause of maternal death in Italy. The continuity of care between primary, mental health and maternity care were found to be critical. Clinicians should be aware of the issue, as they may play an important role in preventing suicide in their patients.
KW - Abortion
KW - Maternal mortality
KW - Postpartum
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066096526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85066096526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00737-019-00977-1
DO - 10.1007/s00737-019-00977-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066096526
JO - Archives of Women's Mental Health
JF - Archives of Women's Mental Health
SN - 1434-1816
ER -