Methods of suicide: international suicide patters derived from the WHO mortality database (original) (raw)
Related papers
A Review of the Various Suicide Methods Used Around the World
International Journal of Medical Reviews, 2018
Around 800 000 to 1 million people die by suicide annually, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. Suicide rates are higher among men than women, and the probability of suicide is 3 to 4 times higher for men than for women. Non-lethal suicide is more common in young people and women. The type of suicide seen in different countries depends on the culture, economic, and social conditions in the respective country. Also, differences in types of suicide are partly due to the availability of various methods. In recent years, the percentage of suicides has risen in all countries. Surveys show that the most prominent methods of suicide in most countries in the world are hanging and poisoning. The most deadly type of suicide is by gun. The most unsuccessful suicide attempts are overdoses of medication. Knowing about the available suicide methods is important.
Means of Act in Suicide –A Review across the Globe
International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2020
Background: Suicide stands at fifth major health problem worldwide. The incidence is 10-12/100000 populations per year. The use of means of suicide act variably changing from time to time under influence of available equipment and materials in the vicinities. As for example firearms shot, a deadly means of act is most common among Europeans and Americans but still hangings is a choice in developing countries, charcoal soothing in petrochemical and coal worlds, pesticides is a favorite choice among farmers. The factors compelling act are financial crisis, deficit support systems, poor crisis intervention, procurement and negligent rescues. The present study is to highlight means of act and factors responsible for such brutal acts. Method: The applicable methods selected for this study is based on the review of articles available on various website reflected from different geographical area across the world obtained from 45 full texts available on internet, out of which 29 were consid...
A community-based study of case fatality proportion among those who carry out suicide acts
Social psychiatry and …, 2009
Objective To investigate the case fatality proportion and associated factors in those carrying out suicide acts in Nantou, Taiwan. Method Data from 1,171 suicide acts (including 973 with deliberate self harm and 198 completed suicides), identified between July 2000 and February 2003, were collected from a population suicide register in Nantou County, Taiwan. Case fatality proportion and the independent effects of demographic factors and suicide method on case fatality were investigated. Results The overall case fatality proportion was 16.9%, with higher proportions in men (26.3%) and in those aged 65 and over (37.9%). Hanging was the most lethal method (fatality proportion = 81.5%); pesticide was both commonly used and associated with a high case fatality (fatality proportion = 26.3%). Only age (increased with age) and suicide method were found to be independently associated with the risk of fatality. Conclusions Suicide method and older age are independent predictors of the fatality of suicide acts. Suicide prevention strategy and clinical assessment ought to take into account of these two factors. Diminution of pesticide toxicity and control of access to pesticides are important considerations for suicide prevention in rural Taiwan.
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2015
The places of death for people who died of suicide were compared across eight countries and socio-demographic factors associated with home suicide deaths identified. Death certificate data were analyzed; using multivariable binary logistic regression to determine associations. National suicide death rates ranged from 1.4 % (Mexico) to 6.4 % (South Korea). The proportion of suicide deaths occurring at home was high, ranging from 29.9 % (South Korea) to 65.8 % (Belgium). Being older, female, widowed/separated, highly educated and living in an urban area were risk factors for home suicide. Home suicide deaths need specific attention in prevention programs.
International journal of mental health systems, 2014
Most attempted suicides have a low lethality, but hanging, drowning, and jumping from a great height have a high risk of completed suicide. The aim of this study was to assess the sociodemographic profiles of patients who attempted suicide using high lethality methods relative to all other methods of attempted suicide. We retrospectively investigated all attempted suicides treated at a tertiary university hospital in Seoul between January 2008 and February 2012. The following variables were considered: the patients' attempted suicide methods, age, sex, history of attempted suicides, previous psychiatric history, occupation, and living conditions. The suicide methods were categorized into two groups: high lethality (e.g., hanging, falling, and drowning) and low lethality methods (e.g., self-poisoning and cutting). We investigated risk factors related to the choice of high lethality methods. A total of 560 patients were enrolled in this study. Deliberate self-poisoning was the mos...
International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2014
Background: The lethality of the suicide method employed is a strong risk factor for the completion of suicide. We examined whether annual changes in the pattern of suicide methods is related to annual changes in suicide rates in South Korea, the United States (US), and Finland. Methods: We analyzed annual data from 2000-2011 for South Korea and Finland, and 2000-2010 for the US in order to examine trends in the rates and methods of suicide. Data on suicide methods were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) mortality database. Results: Along with an annual rapid increase in suicide rates, the incidence of hanging increased steadily while suicide by self-poisoning steadily decreased in South Korea. In the US, along with an annual increase in suicide rates, the proportion of suicides committed by hanging increased while those committed with the use of firearms steadily decreased. In Finland, annual changes in the suicide rate and suicide method were not statistically significant during the study period. Conclusions: Our present findings suggest that the increased use of specific lethal methods for suicide, namely hanging, is reflected in the increased suicide rates in the Korean and the US populations. The most effective approach for reducing overall suicide rates may be the implementation of population-based initiatives that reduce both the accessibility (e.g., access to firearms) and the social acceptability (e.g., effective and responsible regulations for reporting suicide) of lethal methods of suicide.
Suicide Methods in Asia: Implications in Suicide Prevention
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2012
As the largest continent in the World, Asia accounts for about 60% of World suicides. Preventing suicide by restricting access to suicide methods is one of the few evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. However, there has been a lack of systematic exploration of suicide methods in Asian countries. To amend this shortage, the current review examines the leading suicide methods in different Asian countries, their trend, their age-and sex-specific characteristics, and their implications for suicide prevention. In total, 42 articles with leading suicide methods data in 17 Asian countries/regions were retrieved. The epidemiologic characteristics and recent trends of common suicide methods reflect specific socio-cultural, economic, and religious situations in the region. Common suicide methods shift with the introduction of technologies and constructions, and have specific age-or sex-characteristics that may render the restriction of suicide methods not equally
Case fatality rates of different suicide methods within Ilam Province of Iran
There are few diverse studies that have reported the case fatality rates of different methods of suicide, none of them are originated from developing countries. The aim of the present article is to report the case fatality rates of different methods of suicide in Ilam province of Iran. Materials and Methods: Data on 611 cases of suicide and 1807 cases of deliberate self harm (DSH) that were recorded in a comprehensive registry during 1995 through 2002 were analyzed for both genders together and for males and females, separately. Findings: For both genders together, the two most fatal methods were hanging (75.4%) and self-immolation (68.3%); for males, hanging (76.3%) and self-immolation (64.7%); and for females, firearms (75%) and hanging (73.7%), respectively. The least fatal methods for both genders together and for females and males separately were drug ingestion and cutting. Conclusion: The results of present study, which for the first time has reported the case fatality rates of suicide methods in a developing world, would not only help to better plan the local suicide prevention strategies and clinical assessment of suicidal cases but to shed light on overall understanding of this mysterious human phenomenon.
Methodological Strategies in Suicide
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1986
Ecologic studies compare suicide rates between nations or within a nation between regions or between sex and age groups. Trend analyses examine the patterns of suicide mortality in various populations over time.