Low consumption of meat linked to suicide risk

This study was published in Psychiatry Research 2009 Jan 30;165(1-2):111-9

Study title and authors:

Cross-sectional assessment of diet quality in individuals with a lifetime history of attempted suicide.

Li Y, Zhang J, McKeown RE.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19046606

The objective of the study was to describe the differences in food consumption between suicide attempters and non-attempters. Dietary information was analysed from 6803 adults, aged 17 to 39 years.

In regard to meat consumption, the study found:
(a) Male suicide attempters consumed 15% less meat than male non-attempters.
(b) Female suicide attempters consumed 10% less meat than female non-attempters.

The data in this study suggests meat is significantly under-consumed in adults who had attempted suicide.

The author of the study advises "In clinical practice, psychiatrists should pay more attention to what patients eat".