We investigated whether family history had prognostic significance in depression in a study which addressed some of the methodological shortcomings of previous studies.

We collected family history data on a consecutive series of 89 patients admitted with RDC major depression, blind to the outcome of the proband. This comprised 116, 283 and 120 first-degree relatives examined with the SADS–L, FH–RDC and case note data, respectively. The outcome of 74 of these probands (83%), previously categorised into four operationally defined groups, was then examined.

A positive family history of severe psychiatric illness (i.e. a relative with a history of either a psychosis, hospitalised depression or suicide) was associated with poor outcome in the proband. This association persisted after controlling for variable family size, age structure and gender. As family history was correlated with neither Kendell's neurotic/psychotic index nor the probands neuroticism score, an individual with high scores an all three would have a greatly increased chance of having a poor outcome.

A family history of severe psychiatric illness in a first-degree relative may be useful as one of the vulnerability factors for predicting poor long-term outcome in depression.

This study investigated three questions with major implications for suicide prevention: the sensitivity of the history of previous suicide attempt(s) as an indicator of suicide risk, the time interval from a preceding suicide attempt to the fatal one, and switching of suicide methods by those eventually completing suicide.

The lifetime history of suicide attempts and the methods the victims (n=1397) used were examined in a nationwide psychological autopsy study comprising all suicides in Finland within a 12-month research period in 1987–1988.

Overall, 56% of suicide victims were found to have died at their first suicide attempt, more males (62%) than females (38%). In 19% of males and 39% of females the victim had made a non-fatal attempt during the final year. Of the victims with previous attempts, 82% had used at least two different methods in their suicide attempts (the fatal included).

Most male and a substantial proportion of female suicides die in their first suicide attempt, a fact that necessitates early recognition of suicide risk, particularly among males. Recognition of periods of high suicide risk on the grounds of recent non-fatal suicide attempts is likely to be important for suicide prevention among females. Subjects completing suicide commonly switch from one suicide method to another, a finding that weakens but does not negate the credibility of restrictions on the availability of lethal methods as a preventive measure.