Suicides and road traffic deaths in Russia: A comparative analysis of trends

Abstract

IntroductionIt has long been recognized that there are difficulties in obtaining valid mortality rates for suicides. The evidence indicated that suicides are sometimes misclassified and “hidden” as accidental. Suicide by motor vehicle crash is a recognized phenomenon, leading to under-reporting of the actual number of suicides and inaccuracies in the suicides mortality statistics. Road traffic accident mortality and the suicides rates in Russia are both among the highest in the world. This phenomenon has attracted much attention in recent years, but remains poorly understood.AimsThe present study aims to test the hypothesis of the close aggregate level link between road traffic accident mortality and the suicides rates in Russia.MethodsTrends in sex-specific road traffic accident mortality and the suicides rates from 1956 to 2015 were analyzed employing a distributed lags analysis in order to assess bivariate relationship between the two time series.ResultsThe graphical evidence suggests that the trends in both road traffic accident mortality and the suicides for male and female seem to follow each other across the time series. The results of analysis indicate the presence of a statistically significant association between the two time series for male at lag zero. This association for female was also positive, but statistically non-significant.ConclusionsThis study indirectly supports the hypothesis that many of road traffic accident deaths in Russia are likely to have been suicides. Alternatively, common confounding variables, including binge drinking and psychosocial distress, may explain positive aggregate-level association between the two time series.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.