Patterns Of Suicidal Behavior Research Articles

State of the Art on Suicide Studies in Morocco: Trends, Risk Factors and Implications for Prevention

Suicide remains a pressing public health concern in Morocco, yet the research landscape surrounding this issue is relatively sparse. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive review of 96 articles about suicide in Morocco, sourced from the Scopus database. Focusing on the period from 2014 to 2023, 68 articles were selected for detailed analysis, revealing critical insights into the multifaceted nature of suicidal behavior in the country. Through a thematic categorization of the literature, encompassing domains such as Suicidal Behavior and Mental Health, Epidemiology and Risk Factors, Psychological Disorders, Suicide Prevention, Medical Emergencies, and Methodology and Technology, our review synthesized vital findings and trends in Moroccan suicide research. Notably, the analysis illuminated concerning patterns of suicidal behavior and identified significant risk factors, including mental health disorders, psychosocial stressors, and socio-economic challenges. In light of these findings, urgent attention is warranted to develop and implement targeted prevention strategies tailored to the unique needs of the Moroccan population to mitigate the impact of suicide on individuals, families, and communities alike.

Characterization of suicidal behavior in Coquimbo, Chile, between 2018 and 2020.

Suicidal behavior is a public health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimated 700 000 deaths for the year 2021. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of suicidal behavior and describe its related factors in the Coquimbo Region, Chile, between 2018 and 2020. 2190 suicide attempt notifications from the regional epidemiological surveillance system were analyzed, corresponding to 1781 people, along with 217 reports from the Forensic Medical Service of people who died by suicide. The overall suicide rate for the region during that period was 9.79 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants. The 2018 rates were standardized according to available information, with direct methods for the regional rate (9.55 per 100 000 inhabitants) and indirect methods for the communes. Rural communes presented higher rates than urban ones. Women showed a higher risk of attempts (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.33) and a lower risk of suicide compared to men (0.086; 0.06 to 0.13). Young people had a higher risk of suicide attempts and a lower risk of suicide compared to older people. The increased suicide rates in older people (70 to 79 years) during 2020 are noteworthy. Basic education level is a risk variable for suicide (2.21; from 1.15 to 4.23), compared to having higher education. Previous suicide attempts and psychiatric pathology are risk factors. Suicide prevalence and related factors are similar to those reported in other studies and national reports, highlighting rurality and higher risk in older male adults. In contrast to suicides, attempts are more frequent in women and young people. A history of mental health problems, previous attempts, and family violence are risk factors for both outcomes. Knowing the patterns of suicidal behavior in the population is fundamental for its prevention.

Trends and patterns of suicidal behaviour in Nigeria: Mixed-methods analysis of media reports from 2016 to 2019.

BackgroundMedia coverage of suicides in Nigeria appears to be explicitly descriptive and deviates from the recommended best practice. Despite these shortcomings, verifiable information provided by these media outlets could arguably, at the minimum, mirror the reality of the trends and patterns of suicidal behaviour in Nigeria.AimThis study aimed to analyse the trends and patterns of suicidal behaviour in Nigeria using media reports from 2016 to 2019. We examined the effect of gender and age groups on these trends and patterns of suicidal behaviour.SettingThe study was carried out in Nigeria.MethodsQualitative content analysis was used to assess the content of each verifiable suicide event. In total, 336 verified suicide-related events were selected from 4365 media reports. Quantitative data were collected on age, gender, type of suicidal behaviour, method, place and motivation for suicidal behaviour. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine the association between gender, age groups and other variables. p-value was set at ≤ 0.05.ResultsCompleted suicide was the most common reported suicidal behaviour. Hanging was the dominant reported method, followed by poisoning. Significant gender differences were observed between age groups (p < 0.001) and methods of suicidal behaviour (p < 0.001). Also, significant age differences were observed between the methods of suicidal behaviour (p < 0.001), places (p < 0.001) and motivations for suicidal behaviour (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe study confirms that there are gender and age differences in the trends and patterns of suicidal behaviour in Nigeria.

Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among Irish Travellers Presenting for Emergency Care.

Background: Suicide is a serious problem in the Traveller community, with rates estimated at 11%: over 6 times that of the general population. Aims: We aimed to establish the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation (SI) and self-harm (SH) among Irish Travellers. Method: This was an observational cross-sectional cohort study of patients presenting with SH and SI to a tertiary hospital in Ireland, in an area with a large local Traveller population. Data were analyzed from the anonymized database (n=2,016), comparing characteristics of Travellers and the general population. Results: This study found that Travellers (1.6% of the local population) represent 4.3% of the population seen in hospital with SH and SI, and 14.8% of episodes. There was a significant difference in SH methods used: Travellers were significantly more likely to present following attempted hanging (OR = 21.8; p = .004). Travellers were more commonly diagnosed with depression or substance abuse, referred from critical care, and transferred for inpatient psychiatric treatment. Limitations: Limitations include the use of retrospective data from a service activity database rather than clinical information collected prospectively. Conclusion: There are significant differences in patterns of suicidal behaviors between Irish Travellers and the general population. Further research is required to understand and address the high rates of suicidal behaviors in this population.

Gender-specific factors of typical and atypical suicidal behaviors: a secondary data analysis of the 2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Background and objective: There are limited information about factor associated with linear sequences of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among adolescents by gender groups, and those of out-of-linear sequences. The aims of this study was to identify factors associated with typical and atypical patterns of suicidal behaviors by comparing two gender groups of adolescents. Material and methods: This secondary data analysis was conducted based on the 2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 65528) by using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression analyses with this complex sample. Results: A total of 12.4% of adolescents were in typical groups, and 1.6% were in atypical groups. Excessive stress and a depressed state were related to typical suicidal behaviors, while violent victimization accounted for atypical suicidal behaviors (all P values &lt; 0.001). In spite of similar degrees and directions in both gender groups, there were some different findings between the gender groups, such as a poor level of academic achievement and stress, as well as living arrangements. Conclusion: Our study findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the risks of typical and atypical suicidal behaviors in adolescents by considering gender differences. Psychological interventions including school violence prevention should be provided to vulnerable adolescents at risk of suicide, specifically tailored to their gender differences.

Exploring temporal suicidal behavior patterns on social media: Insight from Twitter analytics.

A valid mechanism for suicide detection and intervention to a wider population online has not yet been fully established. With the increasing suicide rate, we proposed an approach that aims to examine temporal patterns of potential suicidal ideations and behaviors on Twitter to better understand their risk factors and time-varying features. It identifies latent suicide topics and then models the suicidal topic-related score time series to quantitatively represent behavior patterns on Twitter. After evaluated on a collection of suicide-related tweets in 2016, 13 key risk factors were discovered and the temporal patterns of suicide behavior on different days during 1 week were identified to highlight the distinct time-varying features related to different risk factors. This study is practical to help public health services and others to develop refined prevention strategies, to monitor and support a population of high-risk at right moments.

Characteristics of Elderly Suicides in Ghana.

A major gap in the extant research literature on suicide in Ghana is lack of a systematic study of patterns and trends in elderly suicides. To address the lack of scholarship on the topic, this exploratory, descriptive study presents the results of an epidemiological analysis of 40 media-reported suicides involving persons aged 60 years and older during the 2005-2016 period. Key findings are that the vast bulk of elderly persons who died by suicide were male, aged 60 to 65 years old, and of low income. The most common suicide methods were hanging and shooting with a firearm. Reasons for dying by suicide included lack of financial wherewithal, indebtedness, cuckoldry, sexual dysfunction, grief after the death of a spouse, and marital breakdown. A secondary aim of the research was to sensitize the Ghanaian public, medical services, and government about the extent, nature, and patterns of suicidal behavior in the elderly population. At present, many people in Ghana are not aware of elderly suicides as a social problem. For stakeholders, the findings of this study can assist in the design and implementation of policies and programs to alleviate the problem.

Classification of attempted suicide by cluster analysis: A study of 888 suicide attempters presenting to the emergency department

BackgroundIt is essential to understand the latent structure of the population of suicide attempters for effective suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to identify subgroups among Korean suicide attempters in terms of the details of the suicide attempt. MethodsA total of 888 people who attempted suicide and were subsequently treated in the emergency rooms of 17 medical centers between May and November of 2013 were included in the analysis. The variables assessed included demographic characteristics, clinical information, and details of the suicide attempt assessed by the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Cluster analysis was performed using the Ward method. ResultsOf the participants, 85.4% (n = 758) fell into a cluster characterized by less planning, low lethality methods, and ambivalence towards death (“impulsive”). The other cluster (n = 130) involved a more severe and well-planned attempt, used highly lethal methods, and took more precautions to avoid being interrupted (“planned”). The first cluster was dominated by women, while the second cluster was associated more with men, older age, and physical illness. LimitationsWe only included participants who visited the emergency department after their suicide attempt and had no missing values for SIS or C-SSRS. ConclusionsCluster analysis extracted two distinct subgroups of Korean suicide attempters showing different patterns of suicidal behaviors. Understanding that a significant portion of suicide attempts occur impulsively calls for new prevention strategies tailored to differing subgroup profiles.

Relationship of depersonalization and suicidality in depressed patients

Background/Aim. Depersonalization is considered to be the third leading symptom in psychiatric morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of depersonalization and different patterns of suicidal behaviour in patients suffering from depresssive disorder. Methods. The study included 119 depressed patients divided into two groups: the first group consisted of depressed patients with clinically manifested depersonalization according to the Cambridge Depresonalisation Scale presented score ? 70, and the second group consisted of the patients whithout clinically manifested depersonalization symptomatology, or, it was on the subsyndromal level. Subsequently, these two groups were compared regarding the suicidality indicators. Results. According to the Scale for Suicide Ideation of Beck, the depressed patients with depersonalization had statistically significantly higher scores regarding suicidal ideation, both active and passive, more often manifested suicidal desire, suicidal planning and overall suicidality (p &lt; 0.000). Positive ideation, as a protective factor, was reduced in this group (p &lt; 0.000). These patients had more previous suicide attempts (p &lt; 0.001) and family history of suicides (p = 0.004). The depressed patients with depersonalization had 8 times more often active suicidal desire, 11 times more often passive suicidal desire and 5 times more often suicidal planning compared to patients without depersonalization. Conclusion. Suicidal potential, manifested in various patterns of suicidal behaviour among the patients suffering from depressive disorder with clinically manifested depersonalization is prominent. It is necessary to pay particular attention to depersonalization level during diagnostic and treatment procedure of the depressed patients having in mind that it may be associated with high suicidal potential.

Suicidality in the elderly: socio-cultural and clinical risk factors

Advanced age is a significant risk factor for a completed suicide. The review considers the patterns of suicidal behavior of older adults in the context of their gender, ethnicity as well as social and cultural factors. In terms of pro- and antisuicidal variables, special emphasis is made on the role of somatic and psychic disorders. The article looks at the features of committing a suicide peculiar to the older people and debates some specific issues of self-inflicted death by elderly people. The obtained data indicate the involvement of multilevel factors (biological, clinical, cultural, micro- and microsocial) in suicidal behavior in later life.

Nerealizuoti socialinės lyties uždaviniai kaip suicidinio elgesio riziką didinantis veiksnys: istorinė-kultūrinė reiškinio analizė

About 900 people are committing suicide annually in Lithuania, which is why in 2014, Lithuania by the average number of suicides per 100.000 population exceeded three times the European Union average. The aforementioned studies show that men are the most exposed group to suicide. In 2014 male suicide rates made up 83% of all suicides in Lithuania. Although suicide and attempted suicide practices can be clearly linked to specific gender-based and psychological research evaluating the phenomenon from this position, it is believed that the relationship between the most common social, cultural phenomena, gender, and suicidal behavior is still not clearly understood. Assuming that the societies of 19th–20th centuries have certain similarities to modern society, in this research, based on historical statistics of suicidal behavior, written sources of social history, psychological and anthropological literature, was tried to characterize the patterns of suicidal behavior of men and women in different societies formed on the basis of the West and East (Islamic) cultures. The research result shows that the comparison of suicide behavior in western and eastern (Islamic) societies confirmed the significant relationships between sociocultural context, gender, and attempted suicide. Due to these factors, individuals who cannot fulfil the objectives of gender in the certain society fall into the risk group of suicidal behavior. In the Western society, it is more often men and in the Eastern societies – women. Keywords: gender, socialization, socio-cultural environment, suicidal behavior, attempted suicide. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/su.2017.31

VISUALIZATION OF METHOD-SPECIFIC SUICIDE MORTALITY DATA

The aim of this article is to examine method-specific suicide mortality data. Method-specific suicide trends vary across countries by time, age, and sex. Often the patterns of suicidal behaviour are determined by sociocultural accessibility of suicide methods and their corresponding associations are very complex. In this article a graphic software tool (Cirocs) is used to visualize tabulated method-specific mortality data counts. Created images allow capturing and displaying complex patterns.

Contemporary Patterns of Formation of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Depressive Disorders

Aims The research wasdesigned to study the contemporary patterns of suicidal behavior in patientswith depressive disorders. Objectives Itwas conducted comprehensive examination of 155 patients of both genders, aged 18–35 years with anestablished diagnosis of depressive disorders which contained various forms ofsuicidal behavior. Methods Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety andDepression Scale, Biochemical tests. Results Symptoms of phobia andanxiety which correlated with affective disorders (dysthymia, recurrent depressive episode) and posttraumatic stress disorder in menpotentiated the risk of suicidal behavior. The results of biochemical tests showed that patients withsuicidal behavior have an increase of the concentration of serotonin in theblood, reducing the level of melatonin in the plasma and the decrease of therate of excretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the night and dayperiods. In patients with high levels of depression according to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depressionand other scales of depression were found the maximum increase of the concentration of serotonin inthe blood and the lowest level of melatonin in the plasma. It can be concluded thatthe neuroendocrine regulation of suicidal behavior is triggered by a reductionof melatonin, which lead to a decrease of catecholamine excretion. Conclusions The present study allowed us todevelop a comprehensive pathogenetic based complex system of correction ofsuicidal behavior during the acute stress reactions, which includes thecombined use of medication and psychotherapy .

Improving national data systems for surveillance of suicide-related events.

Describing the characteristics and patterns of suicidal behavior is an essential component in developing successful prevention efforts. The Data and Surveillance Task Force (DSTF) of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention was charged with making recommendations for improving national data systems for public health surveillance of suicide-related problems, including suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths due to suicide. Data from the national systems can be used to draw attention to the magnitude of the problem and are useful for establishing national health priorities. National data can also be used to examine differences in rates across groups (e.g., sex, racial/ethnic, and age groups) and geographic regions, and are useful in identifying patterns in the mechanism of suicide, including those that rarely occur. Using evaluation criteria from the CDC, WHO, and the U.S.A.-based Safe States Alliance, the DSTF reviewed 28 national data systems for feasibility of use in the surveillance of suicidal behavior, including deaths, nonfatal attempts, and suicidal thoughts. The review criteria included attributes such as the aspects of the suicide-related spectrum (e.g., thoughts, attempts, deaths) covered by the system; how the data are collected (e.g., census, sample, survey, administrative data files, self-report, reporting by care providers); and the strengths and limitations of the survey or data system. The DSTF identified common strengths and challenges among the data systems based on the underlying data source (e.g., death records, healthcare provider records, population-based surveys, health insurance claims). From these findings, the DSTF proposed several recommendations for improving existing data systems, such as using standard language and definitions, adding new variables to existing surveys, expanding the geographic scope of surveys to include areas where data are not currently collected, oversampling of underrepresented groups, and improving the completeness and quality of information on death certificates. Some of the DSTF recommendations are potentially achievable in the short term (<1-3 years) within existing data systems, whereas others involve more extensive changes and will require longer-term efforts (4-10 years). Implementing these recommendations would assist in the development of a national coordinated program of fatal and nonfatal suicide surveillance to facilitate evidence-based action to reduce the incidence of suicide and suicidal behavior in all populations.

English

On July 17, 2013, listeners to a Ghanaian radio program were invited to telephone in and describe their personal experiences of suicidal ideation on air. Those who called the studio were asked four pointed questions by the program&rsquo;s host: (1) Have you ever formed a suicidal intention? (2) What precipitated the formation of the suicidal ideation? (3) What suicide method did you plan to use? (4) Why did you refrain from carrying out the act? The program was digitally recorded, transcribed, translated into English and then subjected to a rigorous analysis of the main thematic issues. This article presents results from the analysis of the data that accrued from the program and discusses the implications of such data for suicide research and prevention in Ghana. Findings indicate that all the suicide ideators were female, young and affected by traumatic life events or family conflict. All four ideators experienced suicidal thoughts but had not attempted suicide. Overall, the results are consistent with extant findings in the suicidology literature. Given the paucity of information on fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior in Ghana, the information contained herein potentially advances current knowledge and understandings of the nature and patterns of suicidal behavior in this geographic and cultural region of the world. &nbsp; Key words: Suicide, suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, suicidal behavior, Ghana.

Stable time patterns of railway suicides in Germany: comparative analysis of 7,187 cases across two observation periods (1995–1998; 2005–2008)

BackgroundThe majority of fatalities on the European Union (EU) railways are suicides, representing about 60% of all railway fatalities. The aim of this study was to compare time patterns of suicidal behaviour on railway tracks in Germany between two observation periods (1995–1998 and 2005–2008) in order to investigate their stability and value in railway suicide prevention.MethodsCases were derived from the National Central Registry of person accidents on the German railway network (STABAG). The association of daytime, weekday and month with the mean number of suicides was analysed applying linear regression. Potential differences by observation period were assessed by adding observation period and the respective interaction terms into the linear regression. A 95% confidence interval for the mean number of suicides was computed using the t distribution.ResultsA total of 7,187 railway suicides were recorded within both periods: 4,102 (57%) in the first period (1995–1998) and 3,085 (43%) in the second (2005–2008). The number of railway suicides was highest on Mondays and Tuesdays in the first period with an average of 3.2 and 3.5 events and of 2.6 events on both days in the second period. In both periods, railway suicides were more common between 6:00 am and noon, and between 6:00 pm and midnight. Seasonality was only prominent in the period 1995–1998.ConclusionsOver the course of two observation periods, the weekday and circadian patterns of railway suicides remained stable. Therefore, these patterns should be an integral part of railway suicide preventive measures, e.g. gatekeeper training courses.

Changing the focus of suicide research in China from rural to urban communities.

Changing the focus of suicide research in China from rural to urban communities.

Adolescent suicidal trajectories through young adulthood: prospective assessment of religiosity and psychosocial factors among a population-based sample in the United States.

The main objective was to identify distinct patterns of suicidal behaviors over the life course from adolescence to young adulthood and to determine influences of religiosity and other contextual factors on subgroup membership. Semiparametric growth mixture models were used to identify distinct clusters of suicide ideation and suicide attempt trajectories, and generalized estimating equations were used to assess individual and contextual characteristics predicting suicidal behaviors in adolescence and in young adulthood. Distinct trajectories of suicide ideation and suicide attempt were identified for the total sample and for the gender groups. Results showed marked gender differences in the trajectory of suicide ideation and attempt patterns. Religiosity effects on suicidality were prominent in adolescence but not in young adulthood. Analysis showed that an important window of opportunity for preventing the escalation of suicidality exists during the early adolescent period, an opportunity that should be emphasized in interventions on adolescence suicide prevention.

Judeo-Christian concepts related to psychiatry

The behavioral manifestations of psychotic disorders that are attributed to evil spirits in the Judeo-Christian scriptures as demonstrated by Jesus Christ have been narrated. The descriptions of false beliefs and the perceptual experiences that are consistent with the psychiatric terminologies “delusions and hallucinations” are briefly discussed. Attempt has been made to analyze the patterns of suicidal behaviors, guilt feelings, and, expressions of depressive symptoms in the Jewish culture. Of interest is the mass suicide by the Jews in the 1st century AD at the Fort Masada, perhaps the first of its kind recorded in the history. Noteworthy are alcohol and related mental health problems prevalent in the Jewish culture. While highlighting the descriptions of dreams and their revelations recorded in the Bible, it is suggested that such concepts about dreams might have influenced Sigmund Freud's classical works on dreams. The biblical messages and teachings that could be applied for psychotherapy and behavior modification strategies have been outlined. The mental concepts of Jewish culture and their relevance to Indian culture have also been discussed from a cross-cultural perspective.

“I felt so hurt and lonely”: Suicidal behavior in South Asian-Surinamese, Turkish, and Moroccan women in the Netherlands

Young immigrant women in the Netherlands demonstrate disproportionate rates of suicidal behavior. This study investigated the origins of suicidal behavior in South Asian-Surinamese, Turkish, and Moroccan immigrant young women in order to identify ethnic- and gender-specific patterns of suicidal behavior. Based on life story interviews of women who had been enrolled in mental health care, we constructed five typical patterns in which social, cultural, and personal factors were interconnected. Suicidal behavior was influenced by the ability and right to act autonomously with regard to strategic life choices, as well as by the questioning of cultural values of self-sacrifice and protection of honor.