Parental violent offending and offspring suicidal behavior: a nationwide register-based study

Journal article

Background: Parental violent offending and offspring suicidal behavior are associated, but a deeper understanding of the risk within this population is needed to best identify and support those most in need. This study examined the risk of suicidal behavior among offspring of parents with violent convictions, primarily aiming to identify high-risk subgroups. Methods: The study included 2,956,465 individuals born in Sweden 1977–2010, and their parents. Data were obtained from nationwide registers available until the end of 2020. The authors examined the risk of suicidal behavior among offspring with none, one, or both parents with violent convictions by offspring’s age 10, and further investigated the risk among exposed offspring by parental psychiatric disorders, child–parent coresiding, and other factors. Children-of-siblings analyses were conducted to better understand the nature of the association. Results: There were 254,793 (8.6%) and 11,777 (0.4%) offspring with one or both parents with violent convictions. Absolute risk of suicidal behavior was highest among those with both parents convicted; 14.3% (95% CI, 13.0–15.7) of male and 16.6% (95% CI, 15.3–18.0) of female offspring engaged in suicidal behavior by age 30, compared to 4%–4.5% of offspring of parents without convictions. The more adversities accumulated in families with parental offending, the higher the cumulative incidence of suicidal behavior. Genetic factors partly accounted for the association. Conclusions: Offspring of parents with violent convictions are a group at high risk of suicidal behavior in need of early identification, multiagency coordination, and measures to reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide.

Authors: Järvinen, A; Fazel, S; Kuja-Halkola, R; Brikell, I; Chang, Z

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Psychological Medicine
• Volume: 56
• Article number: e87
• Publication date: 2026-04-01
• Acceptance date: 2026-02-06
• DOI: 10.1017/s0033291726103717
• EISSN: 1469-8978
• ISSN: 0033-2917
• Language: English
• Keywords: population-based; risk stratification; intergenerational effects; violent crime; family factors; parental offending; suicidal behavior