Suicide Rates Research Articles

Collaborative strategies for adolescent suicide prevention: insights from Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan

ObjectiveThe study aimed to gain insights about the collaborative efforts of various professionals involved in preventing adolescent suicide within multidisciplinary teams in Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.Materials and methodsA qualitative research method was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 10 specialists from Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.ResultsDespite differing levels of development and implementation of multidisciplinary team concepts, findings revealed a generally positive impact of collaborative efforts in both countries (more structured in Slovakia and less developed in Kyrgyzstan). Multidisciplinary teams in educational settings strive to create supportive environments for adolescents, contributing significantly to mitigating various issues during their formative years.ConclusionsPrevention efforts require coordinated action among multiple social institutions with unified strategies. While progress has been made, there remains potential for further development, particularly in improving cooperation among specialists, national recognition of youth suicide as a critical issue, and institutionalizing procedures to elevate the status and education of multidisciplinary teams.SignificanceThis research provides innovative insights into the effectiveness of multidisciplinary teams in suicide prevention among adolescents. By suggesting comprehensive strategies for team collaboration, it offers valuable contributions to reducing youth suicide rates in both Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.

Media Coverage of Suicidal Behaviour in the Context of Slovenian independence

Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia and became independent in 1991 after a ten-day war. Slovenia had the highest suicide rate of all the member states of Yugoslavia. All young men in Yugoslavian states served the military out of their home state and some soldiers returned in a coffin because of suicide. This, among other factors, was the trigger for the discussion about independence, in which Slovenian newspapers played a part. Suicide rates tend to be lower in wartime, but soldiers also face an array of risk factors for suicidality. The aim of the study was to understand which stories about suicide were published in the Slovenian newspapers Delo and Večer. We analyzed the period before, during and after independence. We found three predominant themes: stories about Slovenian soldiers, political agenda and informative articles. Political agenda was in the foreground before independence, namely the desire for independence and later the consequences of independence. Stories about Slovenian soldiers were most common in the period of independence, with tales of actual suicides with the use of firearms as a method of suicide. In the post-independence period, we have mainly identified articles that give an insight into society's attitude towards suicide. This study sheds light on how suicide in the military was portrayed in the Slovenian media before, during and after independence.

Suicide in the Austrian Littoral at the turn of the 20th century

The paper seeks to examine the social image of suicide at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, especially in the case of Trieste as a major Austrian urban centre, where the suicide rates were more visibly increasing at least from the 1870s onwards. The perception of the growing presence of suicide in society made it possible to observe what the reflections on suicide from the last quarter of the 19th century brought from different parts of Europe (Morselli, Masaryk, Durkheim) and at the same time how the discourses around suicide shed light on a somewhat broader picture of society, including its fears (of social problems and change, not least the potential threat of the imitative effect that the daily press was believed to create by reporting on suicides). The newspaper discourse usually followed the scientific publications of the time, and the contemporaneous observations on the mass of suicides were confirmed through statistical analyses and medical, sociological, philosophical and other debates, while also raising many other social issues with which suicide in urban areas could be linked (alcoholism, the growth of the proletariat, poverty, changing values, etc.). All of this shaped the public debate on suicide as a problem of modern society, with an emphasis on (big) cities, where the problem of suicide was much more pronounced than in smaller non-industrial towns or in the countryside of the Austrian Littoral.

Neme priče: mikrozgodovinski pogled na samomor v sodnih spisih prve polovice 20. stoletja

Based on the archival materials from the Celje and Maribor District Courts (Kreisgerichte) and the specific cases from the Trbovlje County Court (Bezirksgericht), referring to the areas with the highest suicide rates in the Drava Banate, this article examines suicide in the first half of the 20th century. Based on individual cases from judicial practice, as well as newspaper reports, the article sheds light on the social, economic and regional conditions in the considered areas in the first half of the 20th century, as well as the position of women in society and the prevalence of family and sexual violence. At the time when the increasing suicide rates were attributed to the aftermath of World War I, the effects of the economic crisis, and alcoholism, the article analyses the presence and gradual dominance of psychological and psychiatric discourse in determining the causes of individual suicides. By analysing the individual cases, the author presents the attitude towards suicide in rural areas – the shame and stigma still felt by the family members when a relative of theirs commits suicide. The author analyses cases where either the suicide could not be identified or when the corps of the deceased was not found, as well as cases of suicide due to fear and/or shame due to crimes committed. Furthermore, the article focuses on the phenomenon of female suicide and, in this context, on the examples of murder-suicide and the role of women in them, analyses the contemporaneous media discourse, and describes the course of the investigations in the cases where it was not clear whether the death had resulted from suicide or murder.

Using Biosensor Devices and Ecological Momentary Assessment to Measure Emotion Regulation Processes: Pilot Observational Study With Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Novel technologies, such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and wearable biosensor wristwatches, are increasingly being used to assess outcomes and mechanisms of change in psychological treatments. However, there is still a dearth of information on the feasibility and acceptability of these technologies and whether they can be reliably used to measure variables of interest. Our objectives were to assess the feasibility and acceptability of incorporating these technologies into dialectical behavior therapy and conduct a pilot evaluation of whether these technologies can be used to assess emotion regulation processes and associated problems over the course of treatment. A total of 20 adults with borderline personality disorder were enrolled in a 6-month course of dialectical behavior therapy. For 1 week out of every treatment month, participants were asked to complete EMA 6 times a day and to wear a biosensor watch. Each EMA assessment included measures of several negative affect and suicidal thinking, among other items. We used multilevel correlations to assess the contemporaneous association between electrodermal activity and 11 negative emotional states reported via EMA. A multilevel regression was conducted in which changes in composite ratings of suicidal thinking were regressed onto changes in negative affect. On average, participants completed 54.39% (SD 33.1%) of all EMA (range 4.7%-92.4%). They also wore the device for an average of 9.52 (SD 6.47) hours per day and for 92.6% of all days. Importantly, no associations were found between emotional state and electrodermal activity, whether examining a composite of all high-arousal negative emotions or individual emotional states (within-person r ranged from -0.026 to -0.109). Smaller changes in negative affect composite scores were associated with greater suicidal thinking ratings at the subsequent timepoint, beyond the effect of suicidal thinking at the initial timepoint. Results indicated moderate overall compliance with EMA and wearing the watch; however, there was no concurrence between EMA and wristwatch data on emotions. This pilot study raises questions about the reliability and validity of these technologies incorporated into treatment studies to evaluate emotion regulation mechanisms.

Suicide in prison in the North of Italy (1993-2022): a case-control study examining differences between suicides inside and outside prison.

Prisoners constitute a group at suicide risk, showing higher relative rates of suicides than the general population. However, there is limited knowledge about the characteristics of those who die by suicide in Italian prisons. Based on the total sample of suicides of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Milan (1993-2022), suicides in prison (N = 120) were matched by age and gender with cases that occurred outside prison (N = 300) and compared with them. The considered variables were sociodemographic, clinical, and suicide-related. Univariate analyses and logistic regression model were performed. In univariate analyses, suicides in prison showed higher rates of ethnicity different from white Caucasian, lower rates of depression, higher rates of alcoholism, addiction, respiratory system diseases, hepatitis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lower use of any medication, and in particular psychotropic medications, and a higher percentage of violent suicide method versus nonviolent compared to suicides outside prison. In the logistic regression model, ethnicity, depression, and addiction were the only features differentiating suicides in prison from ones outside prison. Particular attention should be paid to inmates with non-white ethnicity and those with addiction. Ensuring adequate access to psychiatric care and implementing comprehensive suicide prevention strategies within Italian prisons is crucial.

Breaking the Silence: A Comprehensive Review of Suicide

Suicide is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, representing a significant global public health issue worldwide. This review explores the various aspects of suicide, including its definition, prevalence, and contributing factors. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally, with the highest rates observed in low- and middle-income countries. Suicidal tendencies manifest in diverse forms, ranging from ideation and gestures to chronic suicidality and murder-suicide, each reflecting unique psychological, social, and biological influences. Psychological factors, particularly mental health disorders, play a significant role in suicide risk, while social isolation, economic hardship, and cultural dynamics further exacerbate vulnerability. Biological factors, such as genetic predisposition and neurobiological alterations, also contribute to suicide risk. The review highlights the importance of prevention strategies, including improving access to mental health care, crisis intervention, restricting access to means of suicide, and public awareness campaigns. The societal impact of suicide is profound affecting families, communities, and economies. Comprehensive, multi-faceted approaches are essential to reduce the global suicide rate and mitigate its impact.

The association of pain screening and pain level with suicide among US veterans with comorbid musculoskeletal and bipolar disorder diagnoses

BackgroundHigh suicide rates are documented among persons with bipolar disorder diagnoses and pain diagnoses, but few studies have examined the association of pain with suicide mortality in individuals with comorbid pain and bipolar disorders. This study assessed the association of pain screening and pain severity with suicide mortality among veterans with comorbid bipolar and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) diagnoses. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted on 168,021 patients within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who received an MSD diagnosis from 2000 to 2015 and had a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Pain severity, comorbidities, demographics, and suicide mortality were extracted from VHA databases. Poisson regression examined relative risk of suicide by the presence pain screening and pain severity ratings. ResultsPain was assessed in 72.73 % of veterans. Suicide risk was greater in those not assessed (0.98 % versus 0.77 % in assessed group). However, this result did not persist after adjusting for covariates (RR = 1.06). Among those assessed, higher suicide risk was associated with moderate (RR = 1.10), severe pain (RR = 1.06), and no pain (reference) relative to mild pain (RR = 0.99). Major depression, substance use disorders, and prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines increased risk. LimitationsData were obtained from medical records; diagnoses were not confirmed via formal assessment, and no information was available on actual medication use or purpose. Over 25 % of the sample were missing pain severity ratings, which could have affected results. ConclusionsSuicide risk factors among persons with bipolar disorder are complex and multifactorial. Providers should prioritize suicide prevention efforts following new onset or worsening pain.

A Suicide Attempt Multicomponent Intervention Treatment (SAMIT Program): study protocol for a multicentric randomised controlled trial.

Suicide has become a first-order public health concern, especially following the negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general population. Few studies have analysed the effects of early psychotherapeutic interventions on subjects who have attempted suicide, and even fewer have focused on those hospitalized in non-psychiatric units after a Medically Serious Suicide Attempt (MSSA). The main aim of this study is to describe the protocol designed to evaluate the effectiveness of individual psychological treatment for patients hospitalized after an MSSA. The secondary objectives of the study are: (1) to evaluate the impact on quality of life and other psychosocial variables of patients with a recent MSSA who receive early psychological intervention; (2) to analyse the biological, psychological, and clinical impact of early psychotherapeutic treatment on subjects hospitalized after an MSSA. A longitudinal randomised controlled trial will be conducted with patients over 16 years of age admitted to two general hospitals. The case intervention group will enrol for 8-sessions of individual psychotherapy, Suicide Attempts Multi-component Intervention Treatment (SAMIT), combining Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and Narrative approaches, while the control group will receive a treatment-as-usual intervention (TAU). Longitudinal assessment will be conducted at baseline (before treatment), post-treatment, and 3, 6, and 12 months after. The main outcome variable will be re-attempting suicide during follow-up. Some psychotherapeutic interventions, usually implemented in outpatient, have proven to be effective in preventing suicidal behaviours. The combination of some of these may be a powerful treatment for preventing future SA in patients hospitalised after an MSSA, which is the most severely suicidal subgroup. Moreover, assessment of the biological, clinical and psychometric impact of this new intervention on patients during the first year after the attempt may help understand some of the multi-level factors associated with the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in MSSAs. The prevalence of high suicide rates requires the design of effective psychological interventions for their prevention, and also in order to design new pharmacological and psychological treatments. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06238414. Date of registration: 1st February 2024, final update is protocol version 3.0, 19th March 2024.

The Rising Cases of Suicide among Nigerians: What Are the Risk Factors, Prevention, and Remedies?

The escalating suicide rate in Nigeria, exacerbated by economic, political, health, and social crises, represents a pressing concern. The aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has exacerbated this issue, particularly in African nations with bare-bones governmental support systems. This paper examines the underlying causes of the alarming number of suicides in Nigeria, utilizing interviews to explore the risk factors, preventative measures adopted, and crisis interventions. Our findings reveal that spousal conflicts, job loss, and bereavement are significant triggers of suicidal ideation. Recommendations include fostering supportive environments, crisis interventions, and psychological rehabilitation services. Urgent attention is warranted to address this growing trend and mitigate its socioeconomic repercussions in Nigeria.

The relationship between violent political rhetoric and suicide rates

ABSTRACT Among the groupings of Social Work Grand Challenges is Individual and Family Well-Being. One threat to individual and family well-being is suicide. Between 2011 and 2022 over half a million Americans committed suicide. Suicide has profound effects on family members. Recent research has found violent political rhetoric (VPR) as an aspect of the social environment is associated with violence, including mass shootings and police shootings of civilians, both threats to individual and family well-being. No studies have investigated the possible relationship between VPR and suicide rates. This study, a secondary analysis of publicly available data, addresses this absence. The dependent variable was suicide rates in the U.S. Census regions. Independent variables included census region populations, VPR, gun ownership, and temperature. Panel analysis methods with Driscoll-Kraay robust standard errors were used. Statistically significant relationships between suicide rates and VPR, changes in gun ownership, and temperature were found, with between-region differences. Violent political rhetoric appears to be associated with increasing suicide rates, and these relationships may differ between regions. Implications of these findings for future research and for social work efforts to combat the effects of VPR and potentially reduce suicide rates, especially for populations targeted by VPR, are considered.

7838 Improvement of Cognition and Memory Scores in Transgender Individuals Within One Year of Initiating Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy

Abstract Disclosure: C.M. Godar: None. S.C. De La Torre: None. O. Bonsu: None. M.K. Shakir: None. T.D. Hoang: None. Introduction: The use of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in transgender individuals is known to provide many beneficial health effects to reduce gender dysphoria, reduce depressive symptoms, and increase overall quality of life. Cognitive function and memory ability are known to be influenced by sex hormone levels in studies of hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women, but studies of GAHT’s effects on cognition and memory in transgender patients have been scarcely reported. We discuss a study of cognitive testing in transgender individuals before and after 12 months of gender-affirming feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy using a validated cognitive assessment tool. Methods: A prospective study of 32 transgender patients aged 18-45 years was approved by IRB at an academic medical center. The Wechsler Memory Scale 4th edition (WMS®-IV, Pearson) was administered to 19 transgender females and 13 transgender males prior to initiation of GAHT and again after one year of GAHT use. Mean scores were analyzed and reported for five categories of cognitive and memory function: auditory memory (AMI), visual memory (VMI), visual working memory (VWMI), immediate memory (IMI), and delayed memory (DMI). Mean scores for baseline and 12-month data were analyzed for total population and male and female subgroups. Results: Baseline mean WMS-IV values for the total study population were: AMI 105 points, VMI 78 points, VWMI 107 points, IMI 88 points, DMI 91 points. Mean values after 12 months of GAHT were: AMI 120 points, VMI 81 points, VWMI 110 points, IMI 99 points, DMI 102 points. Mean percent change from baseline to 12 months was as follows: AMI 13.4%, VMI 8.9%, VWMI 2.6%, IMI 12.8%, DMI 13%. Similar patterns were noted for both gender subgroups. Discussion: It is well-known that transgender individuals are subject to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality compared to the general population. Decreased cognitive function and memory are known effects of untreated depression. Our study demonstrated that treatment of gender dysphoria with GAHT provided a tangible cognitive and memory benefit. The long-term impact of GAHT on cognition and memory is not known and deserves additional study. Limitations of this study included the absence of a cis-gender control group and inability to stratify data based on age, which may provide additional significance. Presentation: 6/2/2024

7838 Improvement of Cognition and Memory Scores in Transgender Individuals Within One Year of Initiating Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy

Abstract Disclosure: C.M. Godar: None. S.C. De La Torre: None. O. Bonsu: None. M.K. Shakir: None. T.D. Hoang: None. Introduction: The use of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in transgender individuals is known to provide many beneficial health effects to reduce gender dysphoria, reduce depressive symptoms, and increase overall quality of life. Cognitive function and memory ability are known to be influenced by sex hormone levels in studies of hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women, but studies of GAHT’s effects on cognition and memory in transgender patients have been scarcely reported. We discuss a study of cognitive testing in transgender individuals before and after 12 months of gender-affirming feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy using a validated cognitive assessment tool. Methods: A prospective study of 32 transgender patients aged 18-45 years was approved by IRB at an academic medical center. The Wechsler Memory Scale 4th edition (WMS®-IV, Pearson) was administered to 19 transgender females and 13 transgender males prior to initiation of GAHT and again after one year of GAHT use. Mean scores were analyzed and reported for five categories of cognitive and memory function: auditory memory (AMI), visual memory (VMI), visual working memory (VWMI), immediate memory (IMI), and delayed memory (DMI). Mean scores for baseline and 12-month data were analyzed for total population and male and female subgroups. Results: Baseline mean WMS-IV values for the total study population were: AMI 105 points, VMI 78 points, VWMI 107 points, IMI 88 points, DMI 91 points. Mean values after 12 months of GAHT were: AMI 120 points, VMI 81 points, VWMI 110 points, IMI 99 points, DMI 102 points. Mean percent change from baseline to 12 months was as follows: AMI 13.4%, VMI 8.9%, VWMI 2.6%, IMI 12.8%, DMI 13%. Similar patterns were noted for both gender subgroups. Discussion: It is well-known that transgender individuals are subject to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality compared to the general population. Decreased cognitive function and memory are known effects of untreated depression. Our study demonstrated that treatment of gender dysphoria with GAHT provided a tangible cognitive and memory benefit. The long-term impact of GAHT on cognition and memory is not known and deserves additional study. Limitations of this study included the absence of a cis-gender control group and inability to stratify data based on age, which may provide additional significance. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Suicide Rates by Age and Time Among American Indian and Alaskan Native Veterans.

Although recent work has highlighted high rates of suicide among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals who served in the US military, to date, a comprehensive evaluation of age-specific suicide rates, over time, has yet to be conducted. Population-based retrospective cohort study. Average annual suicide rates (2005-2020) were computed. The cohort included 207,955 Native Veterans who were alive as of January 1, 2005, and separated from military service on or before December 31, 2020. Suicide was identified via National Death Index codes. Between 2005 and 2020, average annual, age-specific suicide rates among Native Veterans ranged from 16.32/100,000 (55+ y) to 64.49/100,000 (18-34y). Compared with other age-related cohorts, the rate among those in the youngest age cohort (18-34y) was the highest between 2005 and 2018. The 2019-2020 average annual rate for 18- to 34-year-olds (41.86/100,000) dropped below that of the middle-aged cohort (35-45y; 44.66/100,000). Across all age cohorts, firearms were the most used method of suicide [57.2% (18-34 and 35-54y) to 66.17% (55+y)]; however, a notable percentage of Veterans died by suffocation, 16.54% (55y and older), 26.71% (35-54y), and 33.21% (18-34y). Findings highlight differences in suicide rates by age groups overtime for Native Veterans irrespective of Veterans Health Administration use and across service eras, as well as means of suicide, which also differed across groups. Increased efforts are needed to identify culturally and age-relevant intervention strategies, as well as factors associated with risk, to reduce deaths among Native Veterans.

Exploring possible causes of lower-than-expected suicide rates in Taiwan and South Korea during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic: a time trend analysis by sex, age, and method.

Decreases in suicide rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were found in several countries, including Taiwan and South Korea. We investigated the pattern of the reduction in suicide by sex, age, method, and outbreak period in the two countries. Suicide data for Taiwan (2015-2021) and South Korea (2017-2021) stratified by sex, age, method, and month were extracted from national mortality data files in the two countries. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate suicide rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals across outbreak and inter-outbreak periods during the pandemic, relative to that expected based on pre-pandemic trends, and their associations with economic and outbreak control stringency indicators. There were fewer-than-expected suicides in Taiwan (7%-16% fewer suicides over outbreaks and inter-outbreaks) and South Korea (17% fewer suicides in outbreaks III and IV). Fewer-than-expected suicides were found primarily in the working-age populations aged 25 to 64 years in Taiwan and those aged 45 to 64 years in South Korea. In both countries, fewer-than-expected suicides by charcoal burning during the pandemic were consistently found; the greatest reduction occurred when the outbreak control measures were most restricted. Increased time at residence was associated with decreased suicide rates in South Korea. Taiwan and South Korea showed reduced suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Potential reasons for the decrease in suicides may include reduced access to suicide means during outbreaks in the two countries.

Reviewing global suicide rates via X, Y, and Z perspectives

Global suicide rates owing to disaster impacts have been confusing because of varied and unclear results. This study aimed to investigate how suicides have occurred worldwide during disasters. The methodology used included a systematic literature review and comparative analysis. The disaster exacerbation (X, bad human nature, or suicide rate rise) perspective was compared with the disaster resilience (Y, good human nature, or suicide rate fall) perspective to extract disaster ecology (Z, neutral human nature, or suicide rate fluctuation) perspective from international leaders, government officials, researchers, and disaster victims. A major theme was that the four stakeholders would adopt the Z perspective based on the fusion of X and Y perspectives (leading to X+Y=Z), while embracing heterogeneous research, proactive and long-term strategies, education, and so on. This study relied heavily on the large-scale dynamics of suicide rates than previous studies.

The role of social identity in a suicide prevention programme for construction workers in Australia.

Each year, more than 700 000 people die by suicide globally, the majority of whom are men. The United Nations and World Health Organization have set targets to reduce suicide rates by one-third by 2030. While large-scale suicide prevention programmes are required to meet these targets, diffusion of these types of initiatives is difficult-particularly with male populations. This qualitative study investigated the MATES in Construction suicide prevention programme in Australia. Guided by Social Identity Theory and the Social Identity Model for Collective Action, the study aimed to understand why construction workers chose to volunteer and advocate for industry-based suicide prevention programmes, and how their worker identity, solidarity and relationships impacted their volunteering and advocacy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 participants who had chosen to engage with MATES as volunteers. Data were interpreted using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis, and four themes were constructed from the data relating to feelings of belonging, connection and solidarity between workers and their industry; how specific context and roles impacted identity while existing within an overall sense of identity and solidarity; how industry mateship supported engagement in suicide prevention; and how the role of lived experience, mateship and responsibility provided hope for change. Providing intervention skills to workers, particularly workers with a lived experience of mental ill-health, empowered them to believe that they could make a difference by acting collectively. The MATES engagement model described in this study may have applications for other health promotion prevention programmes targeting male cultures.

Suicide variations between English neighbourhoods over 2017-21: The role of spatial scale

Geographic studies of suicide variation typically focus on predictors at the same level as the event rates, and the possible interplay between different spatial scales does not generally figure. In this paper we focus on suicide variations between 6856 small area census units in England, but against a background provided by nine regions, broad urban-rural categories, and 155 local labour markets. Suicide death totals vary considerably between the small areas, with more areas than expected having no deaths, so we apply zero inflated regression. With this framework, we consider the relative contribution of factors at higher and lower spatial scales in explaining small area suicide contrasts, and why some areas have unduly elevated or unduly low suicide rates. We find significantly lower suicide levels in English metropolitan regions, after allowing for neighbourhood influences, but considerable heterogeneity in risks within broader spatial units. Varying incidence in general is associated significantly with all observed neighbourhood risk factors (social fragmentation, socioeconomic status, mental ill-health, ethnic mix), but low fragmentation and low psychiatric morbidity are the only significant influences on unduly low incidence.

Association of veteran suicide risk with state-level firearm ownership rates and firearm laws in the USA

BackgroundVeterans have higher suicide rates than matched non-veterans, with firearm suicides being especially prevalent among veterans. We examined whether state firearm laws and state firearm ownership rates are important risk...

South Korea’s existential public health emergency: Tackling the low birth rate, loneliness, and suicide crisis

South Korea is facing a critical public health emergency characterized by a rapidly declining birth rate, increasing loneliness, and high suicide rates. The fertility rate dropped to 0.72 children per woman in 2023, significantly below the OECD average. This decline is attributed to economic burdens, gender inequality, and changing societal norms. If these trends continue, the youth population could halve by 2040 compared to 2023, severely impacting the nation’s economy and demographic structure. Simultaneously, loneliness has become a significant issue, with over a third of Koreans living alone and a rise in deaths from isolation, particularly among middle-aged and older men. South Korea also faces a severe mental health crisis, marked by high rates of depression and the highest suicide rate among OECD countries for the past 25 years. Troublingly, recent trends indicate an increase in suicides among younger age groups. Efforts to address these issues have included government initiatives for mental health support, but these remain underfunded and insufficient compared to international standards. Additionally, the stigma surrounding mental health persists. South Korea can learn from countries like Japan and the UK, which have implemented successful interventions focusing on social integration and mental health. Addressing these intertwined crises requires collective action and a robust policy response to ensure a sustainable future for South Korea.