Suicide Rates in Nordic Prisons 2000–2016

Abstract

Objective To compare suicide rates of people in prison and the general population in the Nordic countries. Methods Data on deaths by suicide and person-years for people in prison and the general population were obtained for the Nordic countries during 2000–2016. Age-standardized rate ratios were calculated. Results The suicide rate in the Nordic countries overall was 110.1 (95% CI = 98.1, 122.2) per 100,000 person-years for people in prison. A significant decline was noted for the suicide rate of people in prison between 2000 and 2016 (p < 0.0001). The age-standardized mortality ratio was 7.4 (95% CI = 5.9–8.2) for males and 17.8 (95% CI = 7.3–33.2) for females in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. Conclusion Despite a decreasing trend over time, excess suicide mortality was noted for people in prison.