Boys in their late teens who score lower on intelligence tests may be more likely to commit suicide than their peers, say researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and the Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden.
Researchers studied 18-year-old males who served in the Swedish military between 1968 and 1994. (In Sweden, military service is required by law.) At the time each soldier entered the military, he took standard intelligence tests designed to assess logic, language, spatial, and technical skills. Using census information and medical records, researchers followed the men for 5 to 26 years and identified how many committed suicide.
A total of 2,811 men of the 987,308 studied committed suicide during the follow-up period. Teens who had the lowest scores on the intelligence tests had a risk of suicide two to three times higher than those who had the highest test scores. Other factors that were associated with suicide risk included parents' education. Teens whose parents were well-educated but who had low test scores themselves had the greatest risk of suicide overall.
What This Means to You: Teens who have lower scores on intelligence tests may be at increased risk for suicide. According to the results of this study, cognitive ability - the skills that intelligence tests measure - may play a role in serious mental disorders or in a person's ability to solve problems. If you suspect your child is having difficulty learning or problem solving in the classroom, talk to your child's teacher or doctor about how to help.
If your teen seems withdrawn or anxious, has shown changes in his eating or sleeping habits, or begins getting poor grades, these may be signs of an underlying emotional problem. If you're concerned about your child's emotional or physical health, talk to your child's doctor.
Source: D. Gunnell; P.K.E. Magnusson; F. Rasmussen; British Medical Journal, January 22, 2005
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: March 2005
