Male Suicide Research Articles

Demographic Evaluation of Forensic Cases Presented to the Emergency Medicine Clinic of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: This study aims to examine the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of forensic cases arriving at the emergency department of a tertiary-care hospital in Turkey. The objectives include profiling the demographics of the cases, documenting the types of injuries, understanding the circumstances surrounding these incidents, and identifying any potential seasonal or temporal trends. Material and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study, utilizing data from 9,427 forensic cases that were presented to the emergency department from January 1 to December 31, 2008. Data were extracted from the hospital's electronic medical records after obtaining the necessary ethical approvals. The inclusion criteria encompassed all age groups for trauma-related cases, while medical forensic cases were limited to subjects aged 16 and above. Cases with incomplete data were excluded from the analysis. The cases were categorized into nine subgroups based on the type of incident, following the classification system of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Results: Forensic cases accounted for 3.107% of all emergency department admissions. The majority of these cases were males (68.83%), and they were primarily associated with trauma (86.80%). A significant gender disparity was observed in the types of cases, with males being more prevalent in traumatic cases, while females were more commonly seen in non-traumatic cases. Seasonal patterns revealed a higher incidence of forensic cases during the summer months. Interestingly, there was an uptick in female suicide attempts during the summer, whereas male suicide attempts saw an increase during the winter. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the demographic and seasonal distribution of forensic cases in emergency settings. The findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted preventive measures and specialized healthcare protocols, especially in light of the high occurrence of trauma-related cases and seasonal trends. Future research endeavors should delve deeper into understanding the sociocultural and behavioral factors that contribute to these observed patterns.

Göçün Yerli İntiharlar Üzerindeki Etkisi: Türkiye’den Ampirik Bir Kanıt

This study aims to present empirical evidence on the effect of immigration on native suicides from Türkiye, which has welcomed a massive influx from Syria since 2011. This study focuses on the period between 2009 and 2016 using a quasi-experimental design, which accounts for the self-selection of immigrants to provinces in Türkiye and eliminates a possible bias. An IV-2SLS estimation is conducted to find the causal effect of the Syrian influx on native suicides. The findings show that while the Syrian influx to Türkiye has not increased overall and male suicides, it has increased the crude female suicide rates. The increase is 1.31 percentage points in crude suicide rates when there is a one-percentage-point increase in the provincial refugee share. The results are consistent with the literature, which show evidence that the Syrian influx worsened women’s labor market conditions and promoted male polygamy in Türkiye. This study fulfills a gap in the literature lacking the effect of immigration on suicide by presenting evidence from a case in which the host country received more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees in a period of less than ten years. The study calls for stronger policy measures for Türkiye against female unemployment and polygamy in refugee-intensive provinces of the country. More generally, the study shows that host countries’ immigration policies should account for all characteristics of the areas in their refugee settlement process.

Impact of Position in Family on Suicide: A Case-Control Psychological Autopsy Study among Chinese Rural Youths

Introduction. Suicide remains an important public health issue in China. Existing literature on the relationship between individual-familial variables and suicide risk mainly focused on family socioeconomic status, and few studies analyzed the effect of position in family on suicide. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between position in family and suicide among Chinese rural youths. Methods. We conducted a case-control psychological autopsy study. The data collection yielded 392 suicide cases aged 15-34 years and 416 community living controls within the same age range. Personal position in family was assessed by the question “How do you evaluate his/her position in the family?” and categorized as high, general, and low to reflect the relative position in family. Logistic regression models were conducted to explore the association between position in family and suicide risk. Results. The results showed that compared with females (males) having a high position in family, females (males) with a low position in family were 7.1 (9.1) times more likely to commit suicide ( p < 0.01 ). Mental disorders, social support, and coping strain were potentially important mediating factors linking position in family to suicide, with certain heterogeneity among males and females. Low coping strain played the most important role in underlying the association between a low position in family and suicide for both females and males, accounting for 55% (28%) of the contribution to the total effect for females (males). Subgroup analysis revealed that low position in family had more significant impacts on suicide risk among married youths and those with low education levels. Conclusion. The effect of position in family on suicide should receive greater consideration when predicting suicide in rural China. Possible mechanisms underlying the effect of position in family on suicide include mental status, social support, and coping strain.

Supplemental Material for Establishing Research Priorities for Investigating Male Suicide Risk and Recovery: A Modified Delphi Study With Lived-Experience Experts

Supplemental Material for Establishing Research Priorities for Investigating Male Suicide Risk and Recovery: A Modified Delphi Study With Lived-Experience Experts

Men's Health in Northern Ireland: Why do we need a men's health policy?

Males accounted for half the United Kingdom population in 2021 yet they fail to be prioritised in health and social policies. As examining the health of males and females collectively falls short in accounting for the complexities associated with gendered health outcomes, male health should be considered as a separate policy issue. The island of Ireland has two jurisdictions, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (NI); however, only the former has implemented a men's health policy. As well as a policy vacuum within NI, few studies have comprehensively examined male health. To address this shortcoming, a narrative review of males' physical and mental health trends in NI is presented to determine the need for a men's health policy. A collation of secondary administrative data and survey data was conducted. The narrative review highlights the importance of utilising a holistic framework to understand men's health. Key findings include high male suicide rates and young males being more likely to report certain mental health problems. The study concludes that a male health policy is needed. To achieve this, a Health Impact Pyramid was developed, and it illustrates practical steps that can be taken to support decision-makers, service providers and individual males.

Changing profile of suicide methods in India: 2014–2021

BackgroundRestricting access to suicide methods is one of the most effective suicide prevention approaches. MethodsTrends in method specific suicide rates (2014–2021) in India were calculated using National Crime Records Bureau data (NCRB) by sex and geographical region. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to empirically identify any changes in suicide trends. ResultsSuicide rates by hanging increased from 6.08 to 10.0 per 100,000 population among males and from 2.55 to 3.56 per 100,000 among females over the study period. Insecticide poisoning suicide rates also increased from 1.51 to 2.73 per 100,000 among males and from 0.74 to 1.14 per 100,000 among females. Suicide by self-immolation decreased over the study period among both sexes. In general, these national trends were mirrored among different regions. Joinpoint regression indicated an increase in suicide by hanging (annual percentage change (APC) of 12.3 among males between 2018 and 2021 and 4.9 among females between 2014 and 2021) and an increase in male suicide by insecticide poisoning between 2014 and 2021 (APC of 4.2) while a decrease in self-immolation rates was noted among males (APC of −12.7 between 2014 and 2021) and females (APC of −16.5 between 2016 and 2021). LimitationThe NCRB data might underestimate true suicide rates. ConclusionHanging suicides and insecticides poisoning suicides observed an increasing trend between 2014 and 2021. Self-immolation rates decreased during the study period which might be, in part, associated with the initiative to provide clean cooking fuel to households. Ban on lethal pesticides must be prioritised which might help lower insecticide poisoning suicide rates.

Suicide Trends in Jordan in Correlation With the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Forensic Medicine Perspective.

Background This study aimed to examine the suicide trends among Jordanians who died by suicide before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and assess their correlation with demographic data, including gender, age, marital status, and the method used for suicide, from a forensic medicine perspective. Methodology This was a retrospective, observational, autopsy-based study. Of the 731 medicolegal autopsies performed at the Al-Hussein New Hospital at Al Salt City between 2017 and 2022, 41 confirmed cases of suicide were identified. Results The study indicated that 75% of the subjects committed suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic period, of whom 13% were children. The average age of those who died by suicide was 32.1 (SD = 12.2) years. Overall, 58.5% were single, 61.0% unemployed, and 53.7% had a mental illness. Males were four times more likely to commit suicide than females. Hanging represented 60.61% of all male suicides, followed by firearms (27.27%); however, females used poisoning. Around 60% and 25% of the study subjects were in the age group of 21-40 years and 41 and more, respectively. The study also identified a statistically significant association between gender, age, and the time of suicide (during COVID-19). The findings of this study could not confirm any association between suicide and mental illness, marital status, and employment status. Conclusions The suicide rate in Jordan increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is alarming that most of those who committed suicide were at a young age and in their productive years.

Farmer Suicides Among States Reporting Violent Deaths, 2003 - 2017.

Research suggests that farmer suicide rates are at least two-fold higher than the general population. In estimating rates, prior research considered suicide events among farmers together with farmworkers, fishing, and forestry occupations and included non-farming populations in the defined at-risk populations (i.e., denominators). In this study, we sought to define and differentiate farmer suicide decedents from other agricultural occupations, estimate U.S. farmer suicide rates, and evaluate rate time trends. Farmer suicide decedents were ascertained from the 36 states in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 2003-2017 using NVDRS occupation data. Farmers were defined as persons responsible for day-to-day farm decisions and operations. An expert panel was convened to classify farmer occupations. Rates were calculated using Census of Agriculture-identified farmers as the rate denominator, and time trends were evaluated using regression. Due to a low number of female decedents, female farmer suicide rates were not estimated. We identified1,575 male farmer suicide decedents and 77 female farmer decedents from the NVDRS during the study period. Aggregated age-specific male farmer suicide rates were highest among farmers ages 65 years and older (22.0/100,000). Estimated suicide rates for male farmers were highest during 2003 (31.8/100,000) and lowest during 2005 (19.2/100,000). Trend analysis revealed a statistically significant 2.4% annual percent change (APC) in rates over the 15-year study period. Suicide rates among male farmers showed evidence of an increase from 2003-2017. Farmer suicide rates parallel the rates of the U.S. population; thus, farmer suicide remains a public health concern.

Male suicide risk and recovery factors: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis of two decades of research.

Male suicide risk and recovery factors: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis of two decades of research.

Psychic Pain Among Men: Factor Structure, Psychosocial Correlates, and Mediation of Social Connectedness and Suicidal Ideation.

The Psychic Pain Scale (PPS) measures a form of mental pain involving overwhelming negative affect and loss of self-control. Understanding psychic pain among men is needed to advance efforts for preventing male suicide. The present study examined the factor structure and psychosocial correlates of the PPS among 621 online help-seeking men. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a higher-order factor comprising affect deluge and loss of control factors. Psychic pain evinced significant associations with general psychological distress, r = 0.64; perceived social support, r = -0.43; social connectedness, r = -0.55; and suicidal ideation, r = 0.65 (all p 's < 0.001)-the latter three remained significant after controlling for general distress. Psychic pain also mediated the association between social disconnection and suicidal ideation (standardized indirect effect = -0.14 [-0.21, -0.09]), after controlling for social support and distress. Findings support the PPS as a promising measure for investigating psychic pain among men and indicate psychic pain as a link between social disconnection and suicidal ideation.

Studying Scripts of Women, Men and Suicide: Qualitative-Method Development and Findings from Nepal.

Information about suicidal behavior in Nepal is limited. According to official records, suicide rates were high until the year 2000 and declined thereafter. Official records are considered unreliable and a gross undercounting of suicide cases, particularly female cases. Suicide research in Nepal has been mostly epidemiologic and hospital-based. Little is known about how suicide is understood by Nepali people in general-including dominant suicide attitudes and beliefs in Nepal. Suicide attitudes and beliefs, which are elements of a culture's suicide scripts, predict actual suicidality. Drawing on suicide-script theory, we developed and used a semi-structured survey to explore Nepali beliefs about female and male suicide. The informants were adult (Mage = 28.4) university students (59% male). Female suicide was believed to be a response to the society-sanctioned oppression and abuse that women are subjected to, in their family and community. The prevention of female suicide was viewed as requiring dismantling ideologies, institutions, and customs (e.g., child marriage, dowry) that are oppressive to women, and ensuring that women are protected from violence and have equal social and economic rights and opportunities. Male suicide was believed to be a symptom of societal problems (e.g., unemployment) and of men's psychological problems (e.g., their difficulties in managing emotions). The prevention of male suicide was viewed as requiring both societal (e.g., employment opportunities) and individual remedies (e.g., psychological counseling). This study's findings suggest that a semi-structured survey can be a fruitful method to access the suicide scripts of cultures about which there is limited research.

How Australia prevents male suicides; lessons learnt and implications to Sri Lanka

No abstract available

Suicide and the economy: a regional analysis of italy

ABSTRACT This note investigates the empirical pattern of suicides across Italy over the last 15 years. Typically, a country shares similar basic cultural and social macro-features. Yet in Italy there are marked variations across the regions such that it provides a useful setting to examine the economic factors that influence suicidality. The results align with some earlier work positing an N-shaped Kuznets curve linking income and the suicide rate. Female participation in the labour market emerges as a robust explanatory factor for male and female suicide rates.

The associations between sport- and physical activity-related concussions and suicidality, suicide capability, and hopelessness among high school adolescents.

Concussions are associated with a variety of physical, cognitive, and mental health impairments. If sustained during adolescence, a time when the brain is undergoing development, the risk of long-term impairments becomes heightened. This is a notable subject for investigation as many concussions are sustained among adolescents during high school sports and other physical activities. We used data from the 2019 United States Youth Risk Behavior Survey to investigate the association between concussions and suicidality (i.e., suicide ideation, planning, and attempts), suicide capability (i.e., physical fighting and weapon carrying), and hopelessness, a risk factor for suicide. We utilized a cross-sectional design and used multivariate regression models and t tests for analysis. Participants were 1754 adolescent students who sustained a concussion during the prior year (54.61% male; M age = 15.94) and 9795 adolescent students who did not sustain a concussion during the prior year (47.27% male; M age = 15.95). Females were less likely (13.23%) than males (17.12%) to report at least one concussion in the past 12 months. Both male and female students who had experienced a concussion were more likely to report physical fighting, weapon carrying, and hopelessness. Male students with a concussion history were also more likely to report suicide attempts than male students without a concussion history. Findings indicate that concussions are associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts, suicide capability, and hopelessness among male adolescents and suicide capability and hopelessness among female adolescents. They further suggest a need for additional mental health support and safety policies for student-athletes and other at-risk adolescents.

The influence of the age-period-cohort effects on male suicide in Brazil from 1980 to 2019.

Suicide is a complex and multi-determined phenomenon. Higher rates are observed in men and are related to multiple risk factors, including mental disorders, financial crises, unemployment, and easy access to highly lethal means of perpetration, such as firearms. We studied the effects of age, period, and cohort (APC) on total and firearm-related suicides in men in Brazil and its major regions from 1980 to 2019. Death records were extracted from the Brazilian Ministry of Health's Mortality Information System. Estimable functions were used to estimate APC models, through the Epi library of the R statistical program, version 4.2.1. During the study period, Brazil had an average rate of 10.22 deaths per 100,000 men. Among regions, rates ranged from 8.62 (Northeast) to 16.93 (South). The same profile was observed in suicides by firearms. After estimating the APC models, we observed a temporal trend of increasing total suicides for Brazil and regions, except for the South region, where the trend was stationary. The trend was downward for firearm suicides for all locations. A positive gradient was observed in the mortality rate with advancing age for total suicides; and peak incidence between 20-29 years, with subsequent stabilization, for suicides perpetrated by firearms. There was a reduction in the risk of death for suicides perpetrated by firearms in relation to the reference period (1995-1999) for all locations, except in the North region, where the effect was not significant. The younger generations from the 1960s onwards had a higher risk of death from total suicide and a lower risk for those perpetrated by firearms in relation to the reference cohort (1950-1954). We observed a reduction in the mortality trend for suicides perpetrated by firearms, a reduction in the risk of death in the 2000s and for men born after 1960. Our results suggest reducing the risk of death from suicide by firearms in Brazil and regions. However, there is an upward trend in mortality from total suicides in the study period (1980-2019) and for younger cohorts.

Men. Male-biased sex ratios and masculinity norms: evidence from Australia's colonial past.

We document the historical roots and contemporary consequences of masculinity norms-beliefs about the proper conduct of men. We exploit a natural experiment in which convict transportation in the and centuries created a variegated spatial pattern of sex ratios across Australia. We show that in areas with heavily male-biased convict populations, relatively more men volunteered for World War I about a century later. Even at present these areas remain characterized by more violence, higher rates of male suicide and other forms of preventable male mortality, and more male-stereotypical occupational segregation. Moreover, in these historically male-biased areas, more Australians recently voted against same-sex marriage and boys-but not girls-are more likely to be bullied in school. We interpret these results as manifestations of masculinity norms that emerged due to intense local male-male competition. Once established, masculinity norms persisted over time through family socialization as well as peer socialization in schools. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10887-023-09223-x.

Lyndsay Galpin, Male Suicide and Masculinity in 19th Century Britain

Suicide is a catastrophic event. The ripples of a death extend through surrounding communities, bringing into question previously held certainties—about others, about relationships, about health, behaviour and identity. Speculation abounds in newspapers, magazines and official reports as writers search for meaning in the lives and deaths of those who die by their own hand. It is this focus on the process of forging meaning from the tragic deaths of others that informs Lyndsay Galpin’s book. Galpin offers a new perspective on suicide in Victorian England by interrogating these historical deaths for what they can tell us about ideas and ideals of masculinity. Galpin’s monograph draws critically on previous histories of suicide and attempted suicide in England, from the classics (Olive Anderson and Barbara Gates) to more recent work by Victor Bailey and John Weaver.1 She argues that suicide was not necessarily feminised, as others have assumed, with the lives and deaths of male suicides often compared to other men, rather than to women. While suicide, she explains, is a gendered experience, it cannot be labelled as either inherently masculine or inherently feminine.

Achieving mental health equity in Black male suicide prevention.

Despite a steady decrease in suicide rates in the United States, the rate among Black males has increased in recent decades. Moreover, suicide is now positioned as the third leading cause of death in this population, signaling a public health crisis. Enhancing the ability for future suicide prevention scholars to fully characterize and intervene on suicide risk factors is an emerging health equity priority, yet there is little empirical evidence to robustly investigate the alarming trends in Black male suicide. We present fundamental areas of expansion in suicide prevention research focused on establishing culturally responsive strategies to achieve mental health equity. Notably, we identify gaps in existing research and offer future recommendation to reduce suicide death among Black males. Our perspective aims to present important and innovative solutions for ensuring the inclusion of Black males in need of suicide prevention and intervention efforts.

Association Between Acute Alcohol Use and Firearm-Involved Suicide in the United States

Firearms are the method of suicide used most often in the US. Acute alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of suicide by firearm. However, the dose-response association between acute alcohol use and the probability of using a firearm as the method of suicide is unknown. To evaluate the association between the amount of alcohol consumed and the probability of using a firearm as the method of suicide. This cross-sectional study used mortality data from the US National Violent Death Reporting System on suicide decedents aged 18 years or older with a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC; ie, ≥0.01 g/dL). Statistical analysis was performed from January 2003 to December 2020. Acute alcohol use, ascertained via postmortem toxicologic examination. Probability of using a firearm as the method of suicide compared with all other methods of suicide. The study included 45 959 male suicide decedents (mean [SD] age, 42.6 [14.8] years) and 12 136 female suicide decedents (mean [SD] age, 44.2 [13.8] years) with a positive BAC; of those, 24 720 male decedents (53.8%) and 3599 female decedents (29.7%) used a firearm as the method of suicide. The probability of using a firearm as the method of suicide when alcohol is consumed was higher for male decedents, with the probability starting at just below 0.50 and increasing to approximately 0.75. In contrast, for female decedents, the probability began at just above 0.30 and increased to approximately 0.55. For both male and female decedents, the dose-response curves were an inverted U shape; as BAC increased, the probability of firearm-involved suicide initially increased and then decreased at very high BACs (approximately 0.40 g/dL for male decedents and approximately 0.30 g/dL for female decedents; these BACs were present among only a small percentage of alcohol-involved suicides: male decedents, 589 [1.3%]; female decedents, 754 [6.2%]). This cross-sectional study of suicide decedents who had consumed alcohol prior to their death suggests that, as alcohol consumption increased, the probability of a firearm-involved suicide increased until a certain BAC, at which point the probability started to decrease.

A historical comparison of U.S. Army & U.S. civilian suicide rates, 1900–2020

Studies examining the perceived association of war time and increasing suicide rates in the U.S. military and U.S. civilian populations have proliferated since the beginning of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). However, additional historical analysis is needed to better place the recent surge in active-duty U.S. Army and U.S. civilian suicide rates into context and better inform researchers, healthcare providers, and policy makers. To do so, a cross sectional study that extracted empirical data from U.S. government websites, publications, and journal articles published from 1900 to 2022 was conducted to identify longitudinal trends. From 1900 to 2020, active-duty U.S. Army soldier and U.S. civilian suicide rates appear to fluctuate similarly, but with soldier rates often displaying more dramatic changes. Since 1900, active-duty U.S. Army soldier and similarly aged U.S. civilian male suicide rates have gradually converged, with the differences in rates narrowing over time. War does not historically appear to increase suicide rates in active-duty U.S. Army soldiers or U.S. civilians. More recently, given the apparent convergence of U.S. Army and similarly aged U.S. civilian male annual suicide rates, larger more universal factors than combat may be similarly affecting both populations.