Uneasy Breathing: Lung ills linked to suicidal thoughts
By Bruce Bower
Lung disorders such as asthma don’t just interfere with breathing. Sufferers of these ailments report thoughts of suicide and self-harm far more often than do people treated for other physical illnesses, a new study finds.
Previous studies have uncovered high rates of suicidal thinking and suicide attempts in individuals diagnosed with major depression. Thoughts of killing or hurting oneself are even more common in patients diagnosed with a pulmonary disease than in those with major depression, reports a team led by Renee D. Goodwin of Columbia University.