Demographic characteristics of suicides in Sri Lanka from 2006 to 2018 (original) (raw)
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Suicide in Sri Lanka 1975-2012: age, period and cohort analysis of police and hospital data
BMC public health, 2014
Sri Lanka has experienced major changes in its suicide rates since the 1970s, and in 1995 it had one of the highest rates in the world. Subsequent reductions in Sri Lanka's suicide rates have been attributed to the introduction of restrictions on the availability of highly toxic pesticides. We investigate these changes in suicide rates in relation to age, gender, method specific trends and birth-cohort and period effects, with the aim of informing preventative strategies. Secular trends of suicide in relation to age, sex, method, birth-cohort and period effects were investigated graphically using police data (1975-2012). Poisoning case-fatality was investigated using national hospital admission data (2004-2010). There were marked changes to the age-, gender- and method-specific incidence of suicide over the study period. Year on year declines in rates began in 17-25 year olds in the early 1980s. Reduction in older age groups followed and falls in all age groups occurred after al...
Taking Stock – What Is Known About Suicide in Sri Lanka, Crisis. 2014;35(2):90-101.
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 2014
BACKGROUND: Suicide is and has been a major public health problem in Sri Lanka and has generated a wide range of literature. AIMS: This review aimed to systematically appraise what is known about suicide in Sri Lanka. The patterns and content of articles were examined and recommendations for further research proposed. METHOD: The paper describes the systematic search, retrieval, and quality assessment of studies. Thematic analysis techniques were applied to the full text of the articles to explore the range and extent of issues covered. RESULTS: Local authors generated a large body of evidence of the problem in early studies. The importance of the method of suicide, suicidal intention, and the high incidence of suicide were identified as key foci for publications. Neglected areas have been policy and health service research, gender analysis, and contextual issues. CONCLUSION: The literature reviewed has produced a broad understanding of the clinical factors, size of the problem, and social aspects. However, there remains limited evidence of prevention, risk factors, health services, and policy. A wide range of solutions have been proposed, but only regulation of pesticides and improved medical management proved to be effective to date.
A review of the changing patterns of suicide and deliberate self-harm in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry
A review of the changing patterns of suicide and deliberate self-harm in Sri Lanka A review of the changing patterns of suicide and deliberate self-harm in Sri Lanka TN Rajapakse 47.0 per 100,000 in 1995 to 19.6 per 100,000 in 2009. Self-poisoning still remains the most common method of suicide, with a relatively small increase in suicide by other methods, such as hanging. But after 1995, there has been increased hospital admissions due to attempted self-poisoning, with more medication overdoses. Conclusion The fall in suicide rates in Sri Lanka is a positive outcome of preventive measures taken, including restriction of access to toxic pesticides. These need to be continued, together with increased focus on management of psychological contributory factors, such as depression and alcohol use disorders. At the same time, innovative and culturally appropriate preventive strategies are needed to address the increasing public health problem of attempted selfpoisoning.
Reading Sri Lanka's Suicide Rate
Modern Asian Studies, 2013
By 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.
BMC Public Health, 2017
Background: Between 1955 and 2011 there were marked fluctuations in suicide rates in Sri Lanka; incidence increased six-fold between 1955 and the 1980s, and halved in the early 21st century. Changes in access to highly toxic pesticides are thought to have influenced this pattern. This study investigates variation in suicide rates across Sri Lanka's 25 districts between 1955 and 2011. We hypothesised that changes in the incidence of suicide would be most marked in rural areas due to the variation in availability of highly toxic pesticides in these locations during this time period. Methods: We mapped district-level suicide rates in 1955, 1972, 1980 and 2011. These periods preceded, included and postdated the rapid rise in Sri Lanka's suicide rates. We investigated the associations between district-level variations in suicide rates and census-derived measures of rurality (population density), unemployment, migration and ethnicity using Spearman's rank correlation and negative binomial models. Results: The rise and fall in suicide rates was concentrated in more rural areas. In 1980, when suicide rates were at their highest, population density was inversely associated with area variation in suicide rates (r = −0.65; p < 0.001), i.e. incidence was highest in rural areas. In contrast the association was weakest in 1950, prior to the rise in pesticide suicides (r = −0.10; p = 0.697). There was no strong evidence that levels of migration or ethnicity were associated with area variations in suicide rates. The relative rates of suicide in the most rural compared to the most urban districts before (1955), during (1980) and after (2011) the rise in highly toxic pesticide availability were 1.1 (95% CI 0.5 to 2.4), 3.7 (2.0 to 6.9) and 2.1 (1.6 to 2.7) respectively. Conclusions: The findings provide some support for the hypothesis that changes in access to pesticides contributed to the marked fluctuations in Sri Lanka's suicide rate, but the impact of other factors cannot be ruled out.
Identifying and Predicting Major Factors Affecting the Suicides in Sri Lanka
Aims: Identifying factors related to suicide and the prediction of future suicides are very important because suicide becomes a significant factor that engaged with education, social status, age, gender and many other factors. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to find the civil and education factors effecting on suicidal attempts in Sri Lanka and propose a model to predict the future suicides. Study Design: Statistical analysis with descriptive analysis and proposing models for predicting future suicides. Place and Duration of Study: Data collected from the Department of Police, Sri Lanka, between January 2006 and December 2016. Methodology: Data set has separated into two categories namely 'civil data' and 'educational data'. We modeled the data from 2006 to 2011 and the data from 2014 to 2016 were used for model validation purposes. Quasi Poisson and negative binomial regression models were fitted to identify the major factors affecting suicide in both categories. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) values were used to select the best model. Further, the Mean Absolute Percentage Short Research Article Lakmali and Nawarathna; AJPAS, 2(3): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJPAS.45919 2 Deviation (MAPD) and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percent Error (SMAPE) were calculated to find the prediction accuracy of the proposed models. Results: For both regression models, the variables age, gender and level of education are significant for the models fitted for educational data, and civil status and gender are significant in the civil status dataset. According to the analysis, highest suicides were recorded for the age groups 21-30 and over 61 males, minimally-educated and married people. By considering the MAPD values, the prediction accuracy of both Quasi Poisson models and Negative binomial models were above 99%. But the negative binomial model is the best model because of the comparable high accuracy than the other model. A considerable reduction in suicides was obtained in 2010, due to the peaceful situation in Sri Lanka after the civil war. It is observed that by paying special attention to teenagers, old-aged and married people can reduce the number of suicides.
Rates and Factors Associated with Suicide in Kaniyambadi Block, Tamil Nadu, South India, 2000–2002
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2006
Background: Inefficient civil registration systems, non-report of deaths, variable standards in certifying death and the legal and social consequences of suicide are major obstacles to investigating suicide in the developing world. Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively determine the suicide rate in Kaniyambadi Block, Tamil Nadu, South India, for the years 2000–2002 using verbal autopsies. Method: The setting for the study was a comprehensive community health programme in a development block in rural South India. The main outcome measure was death by suicide, diagnosed by a detailed verbal autopsy and census, and birth and death data to identify the population base. Results: The average suicide rate was 92.1 per 100,000. The ratio of male to female suicides was 1: 0.66. The age-specific suicide rate for men increased with age while that for women showed two peaks: 15–24 years and over 65 years of age. Hanging (49%) and poisoning with organo-phosphorus compounds (40.5%...
Suicide rates in Sri Lanka have steadily risen from the 1970’s to peak in 1995 thereafter showing a gradual decrease. We investigated whether pesticide control regulations had an impact on suicide rates. A graphical approach and regression analysis was used to identify time trends in suicide from 1980-2016 and determine the impact pesticide control regulations had on suicide rates while considering other economic variables. A gradual decrease was seen in suicide rates from 1996 to 2016. Mean numbers of suicides have decreased steadily between the time-intervals significant bans on pesticides were imposed. The regression model showed that with the enactment of each regulation, suicide rates were likely to reduce by 9 times when considered with population and economic changes. Restrictions on the use of harmful pesticides in Sri Lanka where pesticide poisoning is a common method of committing suicide has been useful in curtailing suicide rates.