Abstract
Suicide is a phenomenon that is not related to a specific class of countries but is a problem worldwide. Many studies have attempted to explain gender differences in suicidal behaviors. Unfortunately, Russia holds the world’s top place for the number of suicides committed by its male citizens. Russia is still demonstrating unusually high death rates due to non-natural causes, and these demographic trends are concerning. We analyzed suicidality among men in Russia over the past 20 years using official data published by the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) and secondary sources. We also discussed male suicide as a social problem, analyzed, and evaluated male suicidality in Russia from 2000 to 2020, and reviewed the factors influencing the prevalence of male suicides over female suicides in Russia.Russia is still going through one of the most significant historical changes in the last 100 years. Our analysis showed discrepancies between official numbers and data published by non-government organizations in Russia. Unemployment, low socioeconomic status, underdiagnosed and/or untreated mental illness, and substance abuse are major risk factors for suicide in Russian men. Cultural influences also make suicidal behavior socially scripted in Russia.By providing examples and analyzing data, we aspire to encourage improvements in the practice of mental wellbeing in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. The recommendations within this report are intended as a starting point for dialogue to guide effective suicide prevention in this country.
Highlights
Suicides and self-harming behaviors are significant public health and social problems in post-Soviet Russia
Our analysis showed discrepancies between official numbers and data published by non-government organizations in Russia
Are men likelier to die of suicide than women between the ages of 10 and 60 years, but the suicide rate among men grows with every decade of life, reaching a peak at 50 [12, 13]
Summary
Suicides and self-harming behaviors are significant public health and social problems in post-Soviet Russia. There are 11.4 suicides per 100,000 people in the world, which equates to 804,000 suicides annually [4]. The suicide rates in Russia are gradually decreasing (39.1/100,000 in 2000 to 23.4/100,000 in 2010 and 11.3/100,000 in 2020 [3]), the number of suicides among men is significantly higher than among Russian females [5, 6]. Indigenous peoples around the country are burdened with a markedly increased suicide rate, which may be associated with a challenging social situation, inadequate family support, lower socioeconomic status, and an increased prevalence of alcohol and psychoactive substances, which act as suicide risk factors in general [7, 8]. The level estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 20 times higher than the suicide rate [10]; the gender gap is less pronounced
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