Suicide and suicide attempts in Ankara in 1998: results of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study of Suicidal Behaviour.

Abstract

The rates and associated basic demographic features of attempted and completed suicides in a catchment area in Turkey were investigated as part of the WHO/Euro Multicentre Study of Suicidal Behaviour. All hospitals in the catchment area were screened in order to identify attempted suicides. Statistics for completed suicides were obtained from the State Institute of Statistics (SIS). The rates of attempted and completed suicides per 100,000 inhabitants over 15 years of age were 31.9 for males and 85.6 for females, and 9.9 for males and 5.6 for females, respectively. The majority of attempted suicides were in the 15-24-year-old age group, as is the case in all other European countries. The majority of completed suicides were also in the 15-24-year-old age group, although in other European centers most completed suicides occur in the 40+ age group. The most frequent methods were overdose for attempted suicide and hanging for completed suicide. The rates of both attempted and completed suicides were lower than those of other participating centers in Europe. Male sex is a risk factor for completed suicide and female sex is a risk factor for attempted suicide, while an age of 15-24 years may be a risk factor for both groups.