Suicide Rates In Countries Research Articles

EUROLD: preliminary results of the ecological study on suicide and its associated socioeconomic variables in people over 85 in Europe

IntroductionApproximately one person commits suicide every 40 seconds, resulting in more than 800,000 deaths per year worldwide. Regarding this phenomenon, it is necessary to highlight how suicide rates increase markedly with age. These reach their highest figures in people aged 85 years or older, and this increase is very worrying in certain geographical areas. Although there is extensive literature on the risk factors that influence at the individual level, the same cannot be said when the problem is analyzed at the population level.ObjectivesThe study aims to review the entire Eurostat database, relating suicide data from different European countries to any possible variables that may influence suicide. In this pilot phase, certain socioeconomic variables were chosen based on criteria of suitability and availability of the information provided, selecting data from 2015, as it was the most recent year in which most countries reported their data on suicide in people over 85 years of age.MethodsFirstly, a comparison was made of suicide rates in people over 85 years of age in relation to overall suicide rates in different European countries (suicide rate in people over 85 years of age divided by the total rate in the country). Secondly, socioeconomic variables that may be more strongly related to suicide in this age group in these European countries were studied. After calculating the conditional suicide rate in people over 85 years of age with respect to the overall suicide rate in each country (Fig. 1), Spearman correlations were performed between the conditional rates and different demographic variables, economic variables, social variables, and health variables.ResultsConditional suicide rates in people over 85 years of age show a marked difference between southern and northern European countries. In the correlational analysis, several significant associations were found. Suicide in those over 85 years of age was associated with economic variables (social deprivation, economic impossibility to buy new clothes, impossibility to dedicate money for personal matters and Gini coefficient), demographic (old-age dependency ratio) and health (self-perceived health). After performing a multivariate regression with the variables that were significant in the Spearman correlation, included the variables “old-age dependency ratio (X1)” and “economic impossibility to buy new clothes (X2),” with a value of R-square = 0.612 and a value of p < 0.01.Image:ConclusionsThe conclusions suggest that of the different variables studied, the great majority in which an association has been found belong to the field of economics, specifically poverty and economic inequality, and demographics, highlighting the old-age dependency ratio. Furthermore, marked north/south differences can be observed in the different European countries.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Decriminalizing suicide attempt in the 21st century: an examination of suicide rates in countries that penalize suicide, a critical review

BackgroundDecriminalizing suicide may decrease overall suicide rates because then individuals who are at risk of suicide would be more willing to seek help from the community and from mental health professionals, therefore enabling early interventions for preventing suicidality. We aimed to examine the suicide trends over the last 20 years in 20 countries that still criminalize attempted suicide, and to compare the suicide rates of these 20 countries against the global average suicide rate and to a comparison sample of 20 countries that do not criminalize suicide, matched according to region and majority religion.MethodsAge-standardized suicide rates were extracted from the WHO Global Health Estimates, available for the period 2000-2019. Population data were extracted from the World Bank. We analyzed only countries which criminalize attempted suicide under its criminal justice system. Countries were further categorized according to their membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and countries in Africa. Countries from the same region and with the same majority religion were chosen as a matching group. Joinpoint analysis was used to compare the trends of the two groups with the global average.ResultsBased on the 2019 WHO Global Health Estimates data, there is a large range in the suicide rates of the countries that criminalize attempted suicide, from 2.5 (Brunei) to 40.9 (Guyana) per 100,000 population. The mean suicide rate was 8.3 (Standard Deviation = 10.6). Out of the 20 countries, seven have suicide rates higher than the global average, covering a total population of about 387.3 million. Of these seven countries, five are in the African region. The other thirteen countries have suicide rates between 2.5 to 8.2. Mean scores of the countries which criminalized attempted suicide was lower than the global average and 20 comparison countries over the 20 years, but average annual percentage in the decrease of suicide was greater for countries in which attempted suicide was not criminalized.ConclusionsBased on our review, there was no substantial evidence here to indicate that countries which criminalized attempted suicide had consistently lower suicide rates compared to the global average. There is a need to acknowledge that the currently available evidence is inadequate to definitively claim that criminalizing suicide is beneficial or harmful for the reduction of suicide rate for the entire populations. Future studies should continue to evaluate the unique effects of decriminalizing attempted suicide while controlling for other key associated factors.

EUROLD: preliminary results of the ecological study on suicide and its associated socioeconomic variables in people over 85 in Europe.

The present study aims to compare the suicide rates in people over 85 years of age in relation to overall suicide rates in different European countries. In addition, the study aims to perform a preliminary analysis of which socioeconomic factors could explain higher suicide rates in this age group in Europe. An analysis of the Eurostat database has been made. In this pilot phase, certain socioeconomic variables representative of people over 85 years of age were chosen based on criteria of suitability, according to the bibliography available for other regions and availability of the information provided. The conditional suicide rate in this age group with respect to the overall suicide rate in each country has been calculated. Furthermore, Spearman correlations between the suicide rates in this age group and the chosen socioeconomic factors were performed. Conditional suicide rates in people over 85 years of age show a marked difference between southern and northern European countries. In the correlational analysis, suicide in this age group was associated with different economic ratios, the old-age dependency ratio, and the self-perceived health ratio. After performing a multivariate regression, the model that best explained the differences between the European countries included the variables "old-age dependency ratio" and "economic impossibility to buy new clothes ratio." Different socioeconomic factors, specifically poverty and economic inequality, added to the old-age dependency ratio, could explain huge differences between the suicide rates in people over 85 years of age in the different European countries.

Suicide prevention in Slovenia in the context of public health

Abstract Background Suicide mortality in Slovenia has decreased with 30% in the last two decades, from 28,25 per 100,000 in 2003 to 17,08 per 100,000 in 2018. Nevertheless, the country's suicide rate remains markedly above the EU average. Only from March 2018, Slovenia has a National Strategy for Mental Health 2018-2028, with one of the priority areas being suicide prevention and a strategic goal of decreasing suicide mortality by 15% in the next 10 years. Methods Specific objectives are aimed at (i) raising of mental health awareness and literacy, particularly in relation to suicide, (ii) early identification of people at risk, (iii) access to help and mental health provision for people at risk of suicide, (iv) reduction in alcohol use, (v) restriction of access to the means of suicide. Results Many of suicide prevention initiatives in Slovenia are being implemented on the local, regional, and national level. They include universal and targeted approaches such as collaboration with different gatekeepers (e.g. general practitioners, first responders, school workers, media), screening programs for at risk individuals at the primary health care level (e.g. PHQ-9), network of psychological counselling services, etc. Two interventions will be presented in more detail, namely (i) collaboration with media representatives on responsible reporting on suicide (a 'pre-post' comparison of reporting revealed statistically significant improvement in 6 out of 10 guidelines) and (ii) a population screening for depression and referral program for individuals aged > 35. Conclusions The aforementioned decrease in suicide mortality, timely coincides with the launch of multiple preventative activities. Even though further sound research is necessary to confirm a statistically significant relationship between the observed decrease and these preventive initiatives, it is probable that these actions contribute to the stagnation (and even decline) in the suicide rate in our country.

Factors associated with purchasing pesticide from shops for intentional self‐poisoning in Sri Lanka

In South Asia, up to one in five individuals who ingest pesticides for self-poisoning and survive purchased them from a shop immediately prior to the event. Thus far, no research has taken place to determine whether interventions implemented through the pesticide sellers might be acceptable or effective, despite the hundreds of thousands of such risk purchases each year. We aimed to investigate factors associated with purchasing pesticides for self-poisoning in Sri Lanka. We used a case-control study. Cases (n=50) were individuals who ingested pesticides after purchasing them for the act, and controls (n=200) were customers who bought pesticides but did not use them for self-harm. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess socio-demographic and purchase-specific risk factors. Alcohol intoxication (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 36.5, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.7-783.4) and being a non-farmer AOR 13.3, 95% CI 1.8-99.6 were the main distinguishing factors when purchasing pesticides for self-poisoning. The positive predictive values were 93.3% (95% CI 68.0-99.8%) and 88.2% (95% CI 72.5-96.7%), respectively. One and/or other of these factors characterised 72.0% of cases but only 2.5% controls. While results need to be interpreted cautiously, sales restrictions to prevent alcohol-intoxicated persons and non-farmers purchasing pesticides for self-poisoning may be effective.

Suicide in prisons: an international study of prevalence and contributory factors

SummaryBackgroundPrison suicide rates, rate ratios, and associations with prison-related factors need clarification and updating. We examined prison suicide rates in countries where reliable information was available, associations with a range of prison-service and health-service related factors, how these rates compared with the general population, and changes over the past decade.MethodsWe collected data for prison suicides in 24 high-income countries in Europe, Australasia, and North America from their prison administrations for 2011–14 to calculate suicide rates and rate ratios compared with the general population. We used meta-regression to test associations with general population suicide rates, incarceration rates, and prison-related factors (overcrowding, ratio of prisoners to prison officers or health-care staff or education staff, daily spend, turnover, and imprisonment duration). We also examined temporal trends.Findings3906 prison suicides occurred during 2011–14 in the 24 high-income countries we studied. Where there was breakdown by sex (n=2810), 2607 (93%) were in men and 203 (7%) were in women. Nordic countries had the highest prison suicide rates of more than 100 suicides per 100 000 prisoners apart from Denmark (where it was 91 per 100 000), followed by western Europe where prison suicide rates in France and Belgium were more than 100 per 100 000 prisoners. Australasian and North American countries had rates ranging from 23 to 67 suicides per 100 000 prisoners. Rate ratios, or rates compared with those in the general population of the same sex and similar age, were typically higher than 3 in men and 9 in women. Higher incarceration rates were associated with lower prison suicide rates (b = –0·504, p = 0·014), which was attenuated when adjusting for prison-level variables. There were no associations between rates of prison suicide and general population suicide, any other tested prison-related factors, or differing criteria for defining suicide deaths. Changes in prison suicide rates over the past decade vary widely between countries.InterpretationMany countries in northern and western Europe have prison suicide rates of more than 100 per 100 000 prisoners per year. Individual-level information about prisoner health is required to understand the substantial variations reported and changes over time.FundingWellcome Trust and the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Overview evidence on interventions for population suicide with an eye to identifying best-supported strategies for LMICs.

Globally, over 800000 people died by suicide in 2012 and there are indications that for each adult who died of suicide there were likely to be many more attempting suicide. There are many millions of people every year who are affected by suicide and suicide attempts, taking into consideration the family members, friends, work colleagues and communities, who are bereaved by suicide. In the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, Member States committed themselves to work towards the global target of reducing the suicide rate in countries by 10% by 2020. Hence, the first-ever WHO report on suicide prevention, Preventing suicide: a global imperative, published in September 2014, is a timely call to take action using effective evidence-based interventions. Their relevance for low- and middle-income countries is discussed in this paper, highlighting restricting access to means, responsible media reporting, introducing mental health and alcohol policies, early identification and treatment, training of health workers, and follow-up care and community support following a suicide attempt.

Reading Sri Lanka's Suicide Rate

AbstractBy the final decade of the twentieth century, rates of suicide in Sri Lanka ranked among the highest in the world. However, in 1996 the suicide rate began to fall and was soon at its lowest level in almost 30 years. This decline poses problems for classic sociological theories of suicide and forces us to question some fundamental assumptions underlying social scientific approaches to the suicide rate. Drawing from sociological, medical epidemiological, historical, and anthropological secondary sources as well as 21 months of original ethnographic research into suicide in Sri Lanka, I argue that there are four possible readings of the country's suicide rate. While the first three readings provide windows onto parts of the story, the fourth—a composite view—provides a new way of thinking about suicide, not just in Sri Lanka but also cross-culturally. In so doing the paper poses questions for how the relationship between suicide and society might be imagined.

World Health Assembly adopts Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020

World Health Assembly adopts Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020

The relationship between the frequency of alcohol use and suicide rates in young people

Suicide is an important public health problem and one of the leading causes of death among adolescents. In the United States, the death rate from suicide amongst 15-19 year olds doubled between 1960 and 2001. It has been suggested that alcohol misuse contributed to this increase in suicide rates among young people. We examined the relationship between the percentage of frequently drinking high school students and suicide rates among 15-24 year olds in 17 countries. Correlations were computed to examine the relationship between suicide rates in 15-24 year old males and females and the percentage of frequently drinking students in 17 countries. Using median split, countries were divided into two groups according to the percentage of frequently drinking students. Suicide rates in countries with the lower percentage of frequently drinking students were compared to suicide rates in countries with the higher percentage of frequently drinking students using t-test. There was a negative correlation between the percentage of frequently drinking students and suicide rates in both males (n=17, r = -0.51, p = 0.037) and females (n=17, r = -0.55, p = 0.023). The countries with the lower percentage of frequently drinking students had higher suicide rates in both 15-24 year old males (t = 2.25, df=15, p = 0.005) and females (t = 4.03, n=15, p = 0.001). Suicide rates among 15-24 year old males and females were lower in the countries with the higher percentage of frequently drinking high school students. Our finding is consistent with the suggestion that "alcoholism tends to protect one against suicide early on, but after 20-25 years (if not earlier) it exacerbates suicide potential" (Maris, 1992). The results of this study should be treated with caution until replicated.

Per capita income is related to suicide rates in men but not in women

Background Suicide is an important medical and social problem. It has been suggested that socioeconomic factors play a more important role in suicide for men than for women. This study examined the relation between per capita income and suicide rates in men and women in European countries. Methods Correlations were computed to examine relations between per capita income and suicide rates in men and women in 34 European countries. Using median split, countries were divided into two groups according to per capita income. Suicide rates in countries with higher per capita income were compared with suicide rates in countries with lower per capita income. Results There was a trend towards a negative correlation between per capita income and suicide rates in men. Men in countries with lower per capita income commit suicide more frequently than men in countries with higher per capita income. Conclusion Socioeconomic improvements are needed to reduce suicide rates.

Suicide rates in Irish counties

AbstractObjectives: This study was designed to explore the social correlates of the country suicide rate in Ireland.Method: Suicide rates for Irish counties were calculated for the period 1978-1984, a seven year period centred around the 1981 Census.Results: The county suicide rates were positively associated with death rates and the percentage of elderly population and negatively with change in population, the birth rate and the percentage of the population under the age of 15.Conclusions: There is good evidence to suggest that the official suicide rate in Ireland has been underestimated in the past. This underestimation may not have been uniform across all of the counties.