No Correlation Between Rates of Suicidal Ideation and Completed Suicides in Europe: Analysis of 49,008 Participants (55+ Years) Based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 874-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Lukaschek ◽  
H. Engelhardt ◽  
J. Baumert ◽  
K.-H. Ladwig

AbstractBackground:Little is known about country-specific variations in suicidal ideation (SID) by sex and how they correspond with completed suicide rate. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess variations in SID prevalence rates by sex and its correlation to completed suicide rates across European countries.Method:SHARE is a cross-national European survey of individuals over the age of 50 and their spouse of any age. The present study relied on wave 4 conducted in 2010–2012 including 49,008 participants aged 55 to 104 years from 16 countries. SID was evaluated using a single item from the Euro-D. Data on completed suicide rates were taken from the WHO mortality database.Results:Of the study population (n = 49,008, 44.3% men, mean age 68.2 ± 9.1 years), a total of 4139 (8.5%, 95% CI 8.2–8.7) reported suicidal ideation within the last month. The women:men ratio in SID prevalence ranged from 1.30 in Estonia to 2.25 in Spain and Portugal. Regarding country-specific variation, the SID prevalence patterns of both men and women did not correspond to the completed suicide rates for males and females aged 55+ reported by the WHO (2013). Correlations were rather moderate in men (r = 0.45) and especially weak in women (r = 0.16).Conclusion:The study showed remarkable differences in SID prevalence by sex. The most exciting finding was that SID rates did not correspond with completed suicide rates in each country under investigation. However, the strength of these patterns substantially differs across countries. This unexpected finding need to be further evaluated.

Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudath Samaraweera ◽  
Athula Sumathipala ◽  
Sisira Siribaddana ◽  
S. Sivayogan ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra

Background: Suicidal ideation can often lead to suicide attempts and completed suicide. Studies have shown that Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world but so far no studies have looked at prevalence of suicidal ideation in a general population in Sri Lanka. Aims: We wanted to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation by randomly selecting six Divisional Secretariats (Dss) out of 17 in one district. This district is known to have higher than national average rates of suicide. Methods: 808 participants were interviewed using Sinhala versions of GHQ-30 and Beck’s Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Of these, 387 (48%) were males, and 421 (52%) were female. Results: On Beck’s Scale for Suicidal Ideation, 29 individuals (4%) had active suicidal ideation and 23 (3%) had passive suicidal ideation. The active suicidal ideators were young, physically ill and had higher levels of helplessness and hopelessness. Conclusions: The prevalence of suicidal ideation in Sri Lanka is lower than reported from the West and yet suicide rates are higher. Further work must explore cultural and religious factors.


2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2019-043601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Wu ◽  
David C Schwebel ◽  
Yun Huang ◽  
Peishan Ning ◽  
Peixia Cheng ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo examine recent changes in sex-specific and age-specific suicide mortality by method across countries.MethodsUsing mortality data from the WHO mortality database, we compared sex-specific, age-specific and country-specific suicide mortality by method between 2000 and 2015. We considered seven major suicide methods: poisoning by pesticides, all other poisoning, firearms and explosives, hanging, jumping from height, drowning and other methods. Changes in suicide mortality were quantified using negative binomial models among three age groups (15–44 years, 45–64 years, and 65 years and above) for males and females separately.ResultsSuicide mortality declined substantially for both sexes and all three age groups studied in 37 of the 58 included countries between 2000 and 2015. Males consistently had much higher suicide mortality rates than females in all 58 countries. Hanging was the most common suicide method in the majority of 58 countries. Sex-specific suicide mortality varied across 58 countries significantly for all three age groups. The spectrum of suicide method generally remained stable for 28 of 58 included countries; notable changes occurred in the other 30 countries, including especially Colombia, Finland and Trinidad and Tobago.ConclusionLikely as a result of prevention efforts as well as sociodemographic changes, suicide mortality decreased substantially in 37 of the included 58 countries between 2000 and 2015. Further actions are needed to explore specific drivers of the recent changes (particularly for increases in eight countries), to understand substantial disparities in suicide rates across countries, and to develop interventions to reduce suicide rates globally.


2008 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 639-642
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Ritesh Bhandarkar

Crime may be associated with a less structured society, less social integration, and feelings of less security and greater distress among citizens, which characteristics may lead to mental illness and subsequent suicide. Therefore, a cross-national analysis examining the association of general population suicide rates with percent of males and females in the population victimised by different categories of crime was undertaken using cross-national data from the World Health Organization and United Nations for 42 countries. Spearman correlations were generally weak and not statistically significant. Those values were at variance with the study's hypothesis and may be explained by several factors, including methodological issues. Individual-level case-control or cohort studies of suicides and attempted suicides in the general population may permit exploration of the relation of general population suicides with experience and percent by nations of being victimised by crime.


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Ravi Bhat ◽  
Sheena McKenzie ◽  
Chris Koen

Suicide rates generally increase with age. Examination of cross-national variations in elderly suicide rates may allow the generation of aetiological hypotheses. Suicide rates for males and females in the age-bands 65-74 years and 75+ years were ascertained from the World Health Organisation website for all the listed countries. Cross-national variations were examined by segregating different countries into four quartiles of elderly suicide rates. Suicide rates between males and females and between the two age-bands were compared across different countries. The main findings were: (i) there is wide cross-national variation in elderly suicide rates; (ii) elderly suicide rates were the lowest in Caribbean, central American and Arabic countries, and the highest in central and eastern European, some oriental and some west European countries; (iii) suicide rates were higher in men compared to women for both the age-bands; and, (iv) suicide rates were higher in the age-band 75+ years compared to the age-band 65-74 years for males and females. Potential explanations for regional and cross-national variations in elderly suicide rates include cross-national differences in genetic and environmental factors, prevalence of mental illness in the elderly, life expectancy, socio-economic deprivation, social fragmentation, cultural factors, the availability of appropriate healthcare services, and public health initiatives to improve the detection and treatment of mental illness, mental health and suicide prevention.


2007 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek

Population rates of suicidal ideation, suicide plans or attempted suicide from three independent multinational epidemiological surveys (the WHO/EURO and WHO SUPRE-MISS studies and a third one) were not significantly associated with national IQ figures. This result conflicts with previous evidence from cross-national studies (by Lester and by Voracek) of a positive ecological correlation between level of national intelligence and rates of completed suicide. Across nations, the indicators for the prevalence of suicidal behavior also lacked close correspondence with suicide rates, which may be due to the higher unreliability of assessing covert suicidal behavior (suicide ideas, thoughts, plans, and, to a lesser extent, also suicide attempts) as compared to suicidal behavior that is indisputably overt (completed suicide). Several alternative explanations for the current nil findings are also discussed.


Crisis ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisheng Du ◽  
Gabor Faludi ◽  
Miklos Palkovits ◽  
David Bakish ◽  
Pavel D. Hrdina

Summary: Several lines of evidence indicate that abnormalities in the functioning of the central serotonergic system are involved in the pathogenesis of depressive illness and suicidal behavior. Studies have shown that the number of brain and platelet serotonin transporter binding sites are reduced in patients with depression and in suicide victims, and that the density of 5-HT2A receptors is increased in brain regions of depressed in suicide victims and in platelets of depressed suicidal patients. Genes that code for proteins, such as tryptophan hydroxylase, 5-HT transporter, and 5-HT2A receptor, involved in regulating serotonergic neurotransmission, have thus been major candidate genes for association studies of suicide and suicidal behavior. Recent studies by our group and by others have shown that genetic variations in the serotonin-system-related genes might be associated with suicidal ideation and completed suicide. We have shown that the 102 C allele in 5-HT2A receptor gene was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (χ2 = 8.5, p < .005) in depressed patients. Patients with a 102 C/C genotype had a significantly higher mean HAMD item #3 score (indication of suicidal ideation) than T/C or T/T genotype patients. Our results suggest that the 102T/C polymorphism in 5-HT2A receptor gene is primarily associated with suicidal ideation in patients with major depression and not with depression itself. We also found that the 5-HT transporter gene S/L polymorphism was significantly associated with completed suicide. The frequency of the L/L genotype in depressed suicide victims was almost double of that found in control group (48.6% vs. 26.2%). The odds ratio for the L allele was 2.1 (95% CI 1.2-3.7). The association between polymorphism in serotonergic genes and suicidality supports the hypothesis that genetic factors can modulate suicide risk by influencing serotonergic activity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhuri Vegesna ◽  
R. Chandrasekhar ◽  
Vinay Chandrappa

Context. Occlusion in primary teeth varies among children of different populations and races. Aim. To assess and compare the occlusal characteristics and spacing in primary dentition among 3–6-year-old Dravidian children. Materials and Methods. The study included 2281 school going children. The primary molar relation, canine relation, overjet, and overbite were assessed using Foster and Hamilton criteria. Spacing conditions were registered according to Kisling and Krebs criteria. Results. The flush terminal plane molar relation (80.3%) was the most common primary molar relation. The distal step molar relation was more frequently found in female children (12.8%) than in males (8.6%). Class 1 canine relation was the most prevalent canine relation (81.3%) among males and females. Ideal overjet (84.3%) and overbite (72.7%) were observed among the majority of the children. Spaced type of arches occurred more frequently than closed arches in this sample. The incidence of primate spaces was more in males than in females. Conclusion. The study population has fewer deviations from normal occlusion which indicates decreased tendency for malocclusion in permanent dentition. However, further longitudinal studies are necessary to identify the potential limitations of a clinical approach relying on early orthodontic diagnosis and intervention.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidija Injac Stevović ◽  
Selman Repišti ◽  
Tamara Radojičić ◽  
Olivera Injac

Abstract Background: This is an ecological study that analyzes suicides committed in Montenegro during the 2000-2018 period, taking into account gender, age and methods of suicide. Methods: Suicide rates and trends up until 2009 were obtained from the official registers of Bureau of Statistics of Montenegro (MONSTAT) while the later data were obtained from the Department of Interior’s. MONSTAT also provided data on unemployment and average salary. As per statistical methods, descriptive and correlations were calculated. Results: The average crude suicide rate was 21.06, for males 29.93 and for females 12.42. Crude suicide rates were not associated with unemployment rate or average salary. However, the unemployment rate was significantly correlated with lethal methods of suicide, namely suicide by firearm and by hanging. Average net salary was negatively correlated with suicide by firearm. Conclusions: The ratio of males and females who committed suicide was 2.41. In the last three years, this ratio continues to rise in favor of males (reaching 4.29 in 2018). This could be explained by specific cultural features where males are expected to be the main financial contributors to the households. The labor market of Montenegro does not offer adequate opportunities to set and maintain a stable economic situation which puts additional pressure and stress on males.


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