Spouses of cancer patients are at increased risk of suicide, particularly within the first year of their partner's diagnosis, according to a nationwide cohort study conducted in Denmark from 1986 to 2016.

The study, published in JAMA Oncology, analyzed data from 2,456,020 participants, including 409,338 spouses of cancer patients, to evaluate the impact of a spouse's cancer diagnosis on suicidal behaviors.

Researchers found that spouses of participants with cancer had an incidence rate of 62.6 per 100,000 person-years for suicide attempts, compared to 50.5 per 100,000 person-years in the control group. The incidence rate of suicide death was 16.3 per 100,000 person-years among spouses of cancer patients, versus 11.4 per 100,000 person-years among those without a spouse with cancer. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) indicated a 28% increased risk of suicide attempt (HR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.34) and a 47% increased risk of suicide death (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.35-1.60) among spouses of cancer patients.

The risk was most pronounced within the first year following the cancer diagnosis, with a hazard ratio of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.27-1.66) for suicide attempt and 2.56 (95% CI, 2.03-3.22) for suicide death. Although the risk decreased over time, it persisted throughout the 30-year follow-up period.

The study found that the risk of suicide attempt was 66% higher when the spouse's cancer was at a regional spread or advanced stage. Similarly, the risk of suicide death was 61% higher under the same conditions. The risk increase was greater among individuals with a lower level of household income.

Increased risks were observed for most cancer types, with some exceptions like nonmelanoma skin cancer. Additionally, participants with a prior history of psychiatric disorders faced a higher risk of attempting suicide if their spouse had cancer, compared to those without a history of psychiatric disorders. The research indicated that the risk of suicide attempt among spouses of cancer patients was somewhat higher for those without a shared child, compared to those who had a child together.

This is the first study to show increased risk of both suicide attempt and suicide death among spouses of patients with various cancer types. The researchers concluded that clinical and societal awareness is needed to help prevent suicidal behaviors in this vulnerable population.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.