Lyrics of National Anthems and Suicide Rates

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lester ◽  
John F. Gunn
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Suicide Rates

The suicide rates of 18 European nations were associated with the proportion of sad words in the lyrics of their national anthems as well as the gloominess of the music. It is suggested that a possible suicide prevention tactic might involve changing the music and lyrics of national anthems.

Suicide-Related Crimes in Contemporary European Criminal Laws

Crisis ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilkka Henrik Mäkinen
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Public Opinions ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Narrow Scope ◽  
National Affair ◽  
Attitudes Towards Suicide ◽  
Special Circumstances

This article describes suicide-related penal legislation in contemporary Europe, and analyzes and relates the results to cultural attitudes towards suicide and to national suicide rates. Data were obtained from 42 legal entities. Of these, 34 have penal regulations which - according to definition - chiefly and directly deal with suicide. There are three main types of act: aiding suicide, abetting suicide, and driving to suicide. The laws vary considerably with regard to which acts are sanctioned, how severely they are punished, and whether any special circumstances such as the motive, the result, or the object can make the crime more serious. Various ideologies have inspired legislation: religions, the euthanasia movement, and suicide prevention have all left their mark. There are some cases in which neighboring legal systems have clearly influenced laws on the topic. However, the process seems mostly to have been a national affair, resulting in surprisingly large discrepancies between European legal systems. The laws seem to reflect public opinions: countries which punish the crimes harder have significantly less permissive cultural attitudes towards suicide. Likewise, suicide rates were significantly higher in countries with a narrow scope of criminalization and milder punishments for suicide-related crimes. The cultural and normative elements of society are connected with its suicide mortality.

Medical Resources and Suicide Prevention

1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1254-1254
Author(s):  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Homicide Rates ◽  
Medical Resources ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
American States ◽  
Quality Of Medical Care

Infant mortality rates, a measure of the quality of medical care, was associated with homicide rates, but not suicide rates, over nations and over the American states.

The role of restricting access to potentially lethal medication in suicide prevention

2021 ◽  
pp. 709-712
Author(s):  
Cyril Höschl ◽  
Pavla Čermáková
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Suicide Methods ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
Lethal Means

Overdose with medications is a common method of suicide. Reviews of suicide prevention strategies confirmed that restricting access to lethal means is effective in preventing suicides. Nevertheless, there have not been any randomized controlled trials, proving that restriction of the access to toxic medications decreases suicide rates. Existing evidence is based mainly on observational, ecological, and cohort studies. Factors such as better mental health conditions, effective treatment of depression, and improvement in socioeconomic status, may also contribute to decreasing suicide rates. Restrictive measures will have a large effect if the respective method is frequent and lethal. Although there are some concerns about substitution of suicide methods if access to a specific drug is restricted, many studies suggest a life-saving potential. Restrictive measures represent an effective and feasible public health strategy for suicide prevention, particularly in individuals that carry out briefly planned impulsive acts, and in combination with other interventions.

Restrictions of access to pesticides in suicide prevention

2021 ◽  
pp. 713-718
Author(s):  
Michael R. Phillips ◽  
David Gunnell
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Organophosphate Pesticides ◽  
High Toxicity ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Intentional Ingestion ◽  
Methods Of Suicide ◽  
The Western Pacific

Intentional pesticide ingestion is a common method of suicide, accounting for up to one-fifth of all suicides worldwide. The importance of intentional ingestion of pesticides was initially recognized in Asia and the Western Pacific but it is also a problem in Latin America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and in Africa. Organophosphate pesticides are responsible for a large proportion of pesticide self-poisonings and for the majority of deaths from pesticide ingestion. Limiting access to pesticides could substantially reduce the global burden of mortality due to suicide. Despite initial enthusiasm for restricting access to pesticides by promoting safe storage of these compounds, the definitive study on this method in Sri Lanka did not find a significant reduction in suicide rates. There is, however, growing evidence that national or regional bans on high toxicity pesticides lead to falls in pesticide-ingestion suicide rates, and overall, suicide rates without substantial substitution of other methods of suicide.

Rising Indigenous suicide rates in Kimberley and implications for suicide prevention

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 561-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Campbell ◽  
Murray Chapman ◽  
Cate McHugh ◽  
Adelln Sng ◽  
Sivasankaran Balaratnasingam
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Youth ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Culturally Informed ◽  
Retrospective Audit ◽  
Prevention Interventions

Objectives: This audit examined the demographics of Indigenous Australians dying by suicide in the Kimberley region of Western Australia during the period 2005–2014. Methods: This is a de-identified retrospective audit of reported suicide deaths provided to Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service during the period 2005–2014. Variables such as age, sex, method of suicide, previous engagement with mental health services, locality and ethnicity were assessed. Results: Indigenous suicide rates in the Kimberley region have dramatically increased in the last decade. There is also an overall trend upwards in Indigenous youth suicide and Indigenous female suicides. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for culturally informed, and youth focussed, suicide prevention interventions within the Kimberley region.

The Causes of Changing Suicide Rates

2007 ◽  
Vol 100 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1140-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Reduced Toxicity

The declining English suicide rate from 1960–1975 was consistent with explanations involving the reduced toxicity of domestic gas, the increase in the number of suicide prevention centers, and increasing social stress. It was impossible to ascertain which explanations were correct and which incorrect.

Gender Differences in the Lethality of Suicide Methods and Their Relation to Suicide Rates

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cibis ◽  
A. Bramesfeld ◽  
R. Mergl ◽  
D. Althaus ◽  
G. Niklewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Suicide Methods ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
Male Female Ratio ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Gender Specific

Aims:For developing suicide prevention interventions, epidemiologic, socio-economic and demographic factors influencing suicide rates are of high interest. One considerable factor in this respect is gender, as in most countries male suicide rates are much higher than female suicide rates with a global average male/female ratio of 3.6:1. The present study seeks to contribute to the clarification of the question what underlies the different suicide rates of men and women by analyzing gender-specific lethality of suicide methods.Method:Data on completed (fatal) and attempted (non-fatal) suicides from 2000 to 2004 were collected in two cities in the region of Bavaria, Germany. This data sample offers the opportunity to compare data of suicidal acts including completed as well as attempted suicides of the same region during the same time. The lethality for each suicide method was estimated by dividing the number of fatal episodes by the total episodes and then related to gender and age.Results:Lethality per method was higher for men than for women; significant differences could be shown for the majority of methods. Regarding age, lethality rising with age could be shown. Still, in higher age groups, differences in lethality between men and women were significant.Conclusion:Results stress the importance of gender-specific suicide prevention. Male-specific suicide-prevention should be concerned with improving access to and treatment of men under risk for suicidal behaviour. Addressing the problem through multifaceted programs therefore is a promising approach.

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