Suicide epidemiology and demographics: Difference between revisions
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*In the United States, suicide rates doubled in the 15- to 19-year age group and tripled in the 10- to 14-year age group between the 1960s and the 1990s [9]. The reasons for this trend are unclear, although it is not simply because of increased reporting [10]. Possible explanations include increased rates of alcohol and drug abuse, depression, family and social disorganization, and access to firearms [10,11]. | |||
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among all children and adolescents in the United States, including those aged 10 to 19 years (table 1) [12,13]. Adolescent suicide rates declined somewhat between the late 1980s and 2003, but increased between 2003 and 2004 [14,15], and again between 2008 and 2009 [13]. In 2009, there were 1922 suicides reported for children younger than 19 years [13]. Suicide accounted for 14 percent of deaths in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and 8 percent of deaths in children aged 10 to 14 years. | |||
Between 2003 and 2004, suicide rates increased among females aged 10 to 14 years (by 76 percent), females aged 15 to 19 years (by 32 percent), and males aged 15 to 19 years (by 9 percent) (figure 1) [15]. The reasons for this increase are not clear; possible explanations include the misclassification of unintentional asphyxia from adolescents playing "the choking game" (ie, intentionally restricting the supply of oxygenation to the brain, often with a ligature, to induce a brief euphoria) and changes in risk factors for suicide or suicide methods [15-17]. The potential impact of the United States Food and Drug Administration warning regarding the risk of suicidality and antidepressants on the rates of antidepressant prescriptions and suicide is discussed separately. (See "The "choking game" and other strangulation activities in children and adolescents" and "Effect of antidepressants on suicide risk in children and adolescents".) | |||
Suicide attempts are common. Available data indicate that there are as many as 50 to 100 suicide attempts for every completed suicide in adolescents [18-21]. Survey data from the United States in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007 found that approximately 7 to 9 percent of all adolescents attempted suicide in the 12 months before the survey [22-25], and cross-sectional data from a self-report questionnaire administered to 15- and 16-year-old students attending 41 schools in England provided similar results [26]. A more recent nationally representative, retrospective survey of adolescents (n = 6483) in the United States found a lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt in 4 percent; among adolescents who attempted suicide, 67 percent had a lifetime history of treatment or some type of services prior to their attempt [27]. The reasons reported for suicide attempt vary by sex and age (table 2). | |||
'''Age''' | '''Age''' | ||
Revision as of 13:40, 13 September 2018
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Studies show a high incidence of psychiatric disorders in suicide victims at the time of their death with the total figure ranging from 98% to 87.3% with mood disorders and substance abuse being the two most common. In schizophrenia suicide can be triggered by either the depression that is common with this disorder, or in response to command auditory hallucinations. Suicide among people suffering from bipolar disorder is often an impulse, which is due to the sufferer's extreme mood swings (one of the main symptoms of bipolar disorder), or also possibly an outcome of delusions occurring during an episode of mania or psychotic depression. Severe depression is considered a terminal illness due to the likelihood of suicide when left untreated.
Epidemiology and Demographics
Prevalence
- In the United States, suicide rates doubled in the 15- to 19-year age group and tripled in the 10- to 14-year age group between the 1960s and the 1990s [9]. The reasons for this trend are unclear, although it is not simply because of increased reporting [10]. Possible explanations include increased rates of alcohol and drug abuse, depression, family and social disorganization, and access to firearms [10,11].
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among all children and adolescents in the United States, including those aged 10 to 19 years (table 1) [12,13]. Adolescent suicide rates declined somewhat between the late 1980s and 2003, but increased between 2003 and 2004 [14,15], and again between 2008 and 2009 [13]. In 2009, there were 1922 suicides reported for children younger than 19 years [13]. Suicide accounted for 14 percent of deaths in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and 8 percent of deaths in children aged 10 to 14 years. Between 2003 and 2004, suicide rates increased among females aged 10 to 14 years (by 76 percent), females aged 15 to 19 years (by 32 percent), and males aged 15 to 19 years (by 9 percent) (figure 1) [15]. The reasons for this increase are not clear; possible explanations include the misclassification of unintentional asphyxia from adolescents playing "the choking game" (ie, intentionally restricting the supply of oxygenation to the brain, often with a ligature, to induce a brief euphoria) and changes in risk factors for suicide or suicide methods [15-17]. The potential impact of the United States Food and Drug Administration warning regarding the risk of suicidality and antidepressants on the rates of antidepressant prescriptions and suicide is discussed separately. (See "The "choking game" and other strangulation activities in children and adolescents" and "Effect of antidepressants on suicide risk in children and adolescents".)
Suicide attempts are common. Available data indicate that there are as many as 50 to 100 suicide attempts for every completed suicide in adolescents [18-21]. Survey data from the United States in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007 found that approximately 7 to 9 percent of all adolescents attempted suicide in the 12 months before the survey [22-25], and cross-sectional data from a self-report questionnaire administered to 15- and 16-year-old students attending 41 schools in England provided similar results [26]. A more recent nationally representative, retrospective survey of adolescents (n = 6483) in the United States found a lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt in 4 percent; among adolescents who attempted suicide, 67 percent had a lifetime history of treatment or some type of services prior to their attempt [27]. The reasons reported for suicide attempt vary by sex and age (table 2).
Age
Sex
Race/ethnicity
National suicide rates sometimes tend to remain stable. For example, the 1975 rates for Australia, Denmark, England, France, Norway, and Switzerland were within 3.0 per 100,000 of population from the 1875 rates.[1] The rates in 1910–14 and in 1960 differed less than 2.5 per 100,000 of the population in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands.[2]
| Rank | Country | Males | Females | Total | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lithuania | 70.1 | 14.0 | 40.2 | 2004 |
| 2 | Belarus | 63.3 | 10.3 | 35.1 | 2003 |
| 3 | Russia | 61.6 | 10.7 | 34.3 | 2004 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 51.0 | 8.9 | 29.2 | 2003 |
| 5 | Hungary | 44.9 | 12.0 | 27.7 | 2003 |
| 6 | Guyana | 42.5 | 12.1 | 27.2 | 2003 |
| 7 | South Korea[4][5] | N/A | N/A | 26.1 | 2005 |
| 8 | Slovenia | 37.9 | 13.9 | 25.6 | 2004 |
| 9 | Latvia | 42.9 | 8.5 | 24.3 | 2004 |
| 10 | Japan | 35.6 | 12.8 | 24.0 | 2004 |
There are considerable differences in national suicide rates among various countries. Findings from two studies showed a range from 0 to more than 40 suicides per 100,000 of population.[6]
National suicide rates, apparently universally, show a long-term upward trend. This trend has been well-documented in European countries.[7] The trend for national suicide rates to rise slowly over time might be an indirect result of the gradual reduction in deaths from other causes, i.e. falling death rates from causes other than suicide uncover a previously hidden predisposition towards suicide.[8][9] There may also be an explanation in the reduced stigma attached to survivors as suicide is no longer considered a crime or a sin. This may allow coroners to record more suicides as such and so increase stats.
Ethnic groups and suicide: In the USA, Asian-Americans are more likely to die by suicide than any other ethnic group. Caucasians die by suicide more often than African Americans do. This is true for both genders. Non-Hispanic Caucasians are nearly 2.5 times more likely to kill themselves than are African Americans or Hispanics.[10]
.
Season and suicide: People die by suicide more often during spring and summer. The idea that suicide is more common during the winter holidays (including Christmas in the northern hemisphere) is a common misconception.[11] There is also potential risk of suicide in some people experiencing Seasonal affective disorder.
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1983; Lester, Patterns, 1996, p. 21
- ↑ Lester, Patterns, 1996, p. 22
- ↑ Country reports and charts available, World Health Organization, accessed on March 16 2008.
- ↑ Suicide in South Korea Case of Too Little, Too Late, OhmyNews KOREA
- ↑ S. Korea has top suicide rate among OECD countries, Seoul, September 18, 2006 Yonhap News
- ↑ La Vecchia, C., Lucchini, F., & Levi, F. (1994) Worldwide trends in suicide mortality, 1955-1989. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 90, 53-64.; Lester, Patterns, 1996, pp. 28-30.
- ↑ Lester, Patterns, 1996, p. 2.
- ↑ Baldessarini, R. J., & Jamison, K. R. (1999) Effects of medical interventions on suicidal behavior. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60 (Suppl. 2), 117-122.
- ↑ Khan, A., Warner, H. A., & Brown, W. A. (2000) Symptom reduction and suicide risk in patients treated with placebo in antidepressant clinical trials. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, 311-317.
- ↑ Template:PDFlink
- ↑ "Questions About Suicide". Centre For Suicide Prevention. 2006.