Background: Neuroticism has often been linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
Aims: To examine whether neuroticism is associated with suicide deaths after adjusting for known risks.
Method: UK Biobank participants (n = 389 365) were assessed for neuroticism as well as social, demographic and health-related variables at study entry and followed for up to 10 years. Suicide risk was modelled using Cox regression stratified by gender.
Results: Neuroticism increased the risk of suicide in both men (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.15, 95% CI 1.09-1.22) and women (HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27). In a subsample who were assessed for mood disorders, neuroticism remained a significant predictor for women (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03-1.51) but not for men.
Conclusions: Screening and therapeutic interventions for neuroticism may be important for early suicide prevention.
Declaration of interest: None.