Comparing Suicide Attempters With and Without Mental Disorders: A Study of Young Adults in Rural China

Over 90% of suicides in the West could be diagnosed with mental disorders, while only 50–70% of Chinese suicides had mental disorders. Using data from a case–control study on suicide attempt, we aimed to compare characteristics and risk factors between suicide attempters with and without mental disorders. Demographic and social psychological characteristics were compared between attempters with and without mental disorders. 19.1% of the suicide attempters were diagnosed with mental disorders. Suicide attempters with mental disorders endured more strain than those without. Strain was an independent risk factor for suicide attempt among people without mental disorders. Psychological strain might be an important reason for both mental disorders and following suicide attempt. More efforts on suicide prevention should be spent on people without mental disorders. The impact of social psychological factors, such as religion, negative life events, and psychological strains should be considered.