Respiratory disease and suicide among US coal miners: is there a relationship

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Am. J. Prev. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6931674

Ames, R G

A case-control study was performed to test whether or not respiratory disease in coal miners presented a risk for suicide. While coal miners in general do not experience elevated rates of suicide, coal miners with respiratory disease have been found to have high rates of psychiatric disability, especially depressive reactions. Further, depression has been related to suicide. To test the hypothesis, 50 suicide deaths from four National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health cohorts of coal miners were matched by age at death to two series of controls, a noncancer, nonaccident control series, and a cancer control series. Using odds ratios (tested by chi-square) the risks of obstructive lung disease and coal workers pneumoconiosis were evaluated together with the risks of years of underground mining, cigarette smoking at the time of cohort creation, and ever having smoked cigarettes. Neither respiratory disease was found to pose a statistically elevated risk of suicide in this sample of U.S. white male coal miners.

• Research Organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6931674
• Journal Information: Am. J. Prev. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Prev. Med.; (United States) Vol. 1:6; ISSN AJPME
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
550900 -- Pathology
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
COAL MINING
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MENTAL DISORDERS
MINING
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PNEUMOCONIOSES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SMOKES
SOLS
TOBACCO SMOKES