According to a new study conducted by scientists in Sweden, young men with higher IQs have a lower risk of committing suicide than those of lower intelligence. The report was published in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers examined the test scores of almost 1 million men who had entered the Swedish military and examined their IQ test scores. The number of men who took their own life over the past 26 years was then studied. Nearly 3,000 of the men did take their own lives.

'There is a strong inverse association between intelligence test scores and suicide,' Finn Rasmussen, as associate professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said in the report. 'Better performance on the tests was associated with a reduced risk of suicide.'

The study did not find a reason for the connection although the researchers have some theories. One is that those with lower intelligence are less likely to figure out a solution to their problems and thus more likely to take their own life. Another is that those with lower test scores on intelligence tests are also more likely to suffer from schizophrenia or depression.

Regardless of the reason, because of the large number of cases examined in the study, it is highly doubtful that the results were due to chance.

The next issue Professor Rasmussen wants to investigate is the reason for the suicides of the men in question. He may find that a more difficult task.