Twins are less likely to commit suicide than other people, scientists said on Friday. Researchers in Denmark looked at the records of more than
Twins are less likely to commit suicide than other people, scientists said on Friday. Researchers in Denmark looked at the records of more than 20,000 same-sex twins who died between 1943 and 1993 and compared their rates of suicide with the wider population. They found that the suicide rate was lower for twins, regardless of their sex.
The findings came as a surprise because other studies have suggested that twins are slightly more prone to mental health problems than other people."This should lead to a higher proportion of twins committing suicide compared to the general population," the researchers reported in this week's edition of the British Medical Journal. "But our findings show exactly the opposite, further underscoring the importance of strong family ties."
