Epidemiology of the suicide

The epidemiology of the suicide is a branch of the epidemiology which aims at knowing the distribution, and of the determinants of the Suicide in the populations. In the world, 815 000 people committed suicide in 2000, that is to say 14,5 deaths for 100 000 inhabitants (a death every 40 seconds). The epidemiology of the suicide remains however very variable according to the countries, and sometimes even between different communities in the same country.

General information

In the world, 815 000 people committed suicide in 2000, that is to say 14,5 deaths for 100 000 inhabitants (a death every 40 seconds).

In the majority of the countries, the suicide touches the men more the women. In fact, the number of successful attempts is more important at the men than among women, perhaps (assumption) because the men more often choose of the average violent ones (hanging or firearm against medicamentous intoxication at the woman). Moreover, they are very insulated and it is thus often difficult to observe their disorder. Contrary to the women, they do not intend to change their medium, but they only wish to put an end to their suffering. One can meet suicides at any age. But two peaks get clear: adolescence and the great age (>60 years), giving to the curve of suicide rate according to the age a form of " N".

The suicide touches everyone, without reference to “class”. It would seem that the cultures influence suicide rate. High levels of social cohesion and main road would reduce suicide rates. The levels of suicide are higher at the people with the retirement, with unemployment, divorced, without children, town, living alone. The rates increase during the time of economic uncertainty (although poverty is not a direct cause). The majority of committed suicide suffer from psychological disorders. The depression is a frequent cause. Serious physical diseases or infirmities can also support the suicides.

From the point of view of the individual, the suicide is seldom perceived like an end in itself, it is rather regarded as the single possible way to escape a situation become unbearable. Other reasons exist: to join a close relation deceased, to make suffer by causing remorse… Many reasons are possible.

Lastly, suicide rate can also be influenced by the media din made around the suicide of celebrities, even by the fictional suicide of a character in a popular drama (“the Werther effect”, expression of the sociologist David Phillips in reference to the book Sufferings of the young person Werther of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).

Delicate data to collect

The collections base on the data colligées by the sanitary services, themselves depend on the doctor's certificate of death established by a doctor. The suicide can then be underestimated. In the same way, a certain number of cases of road accidents, even accident in the home, or of behavior industrial accidents of takings risk can be suicides which will not appear in the statistics. Lastly, the system of collection and data processing is variable from one country to another.

Europe

In Europe in 2006, the country more touched by the suicide is the Lithuania, followed by the Russia and the Bielorussia.

France

In 1996, the France account 12 000 Suicide S for 160 000 attempts (figures of the Inserm); with 62 million inhabitants in France, these numbers represent about 19 suicides for 100 000 inhabitants, is a suicide for 5 000 people, and an attempt for 400 people. France is with the fourth rank of the developed countries. The figures are about stable since 1980. The suicide is a cause of death more important than the road accidents. It particularly touches the young people, in whom the suicide is the second cause of death (more present in the homosexual young people). Always according to INSERM, 650 deaths approximately take place each year at the 15-24 years in France. Among these young people, two thirds are boys. Suicide rate fell since 1985, but the suicide attempts of the 15-19 years increased (4,3 % in 1999). The women make twice more suicide attempts than the men, the men commit suicide twice as much as the women. The suicide is the first cause of mortality at the 15-35 years and the suicidal risk increases with the age. The longitudinal studies show that 15 % of the depressed patients die by suicide. The rate of suicide attempt decrease with the age whereas suicide rate increases.

Belgium

In Belgium, 2 000 suicides are listed every year, which represents the first " cause; externe" of mortality. The kingdom is located, with Finland, France and Denmark, well above the world mean estimated at 14,5 for 100 000 inhabitants.

Switzerland

Each Swiss year in , one counts 1 300 with 1 400 suicides. It is the most important cause of death at the men from 15 to 44 years. Approximately 1 000 men and 400 women commit suicide each year in Switzerland, which represents four deaths per day, that is to say a suicide rate of 19,1 for 100 000 inhabitants.

Asia

China

The China is one of the rare countries in the world where the women commit suicide more than the men. This phenomenon is found in India and in the Pacifique. This form of suicide is called by certain “commits suicide vindicatory”. These women “were bought” by their husband. They live within their in-laws, where they are often treated like slaves. The only exit that they find is often the suicide. Lastly, any “missed” suicide attempt is condemnable with the capital punishment.

Japan

The Japan with the one of strongest suicide rates of the world industrialized (24,1 for 100 000 inhabitants). The suicides reached the record number of 34 427 in 2003 (+ 7,1 % compared to 2002, source: AFP 11/22/2004). Suicide rate for 100 000 inhabitants was of 26,1 in 1998, slightly lower than that of the three Baltic States and Russia, Hungary and Slovenia where the rate borders 30 people for 100 000 (various sources).

The individual in Japan is defined compared to the relation in the other. At the time of a feeling of obligation or debt not being able to be discharged, the feelings of unworthiness and shame settle. The only honourable exit is then the suicide. It is a suicide by self-punishment for the debt which one owes at the company. It then makes it possible to find its honor. But the suicide rate of the young people in Japan did not cease lowering these last years.

The code of honor Bushido precisely codifies a ritual suicide called Seppuku . There exists also a ritual suicide reserved to the women: the Jigai , the seppuku being reserved with the men.

Americas

Quebec, (Canada)

In 2001, 1 334 Inhabitants of Quebec gave each other the death, of which 1 055 men. Suicide rate in the young men is among highest of the world, to 30,7 for 100 000 inhabitants. The men commit suicide eight times more than the women. Some rare countries exceed Quebec on this level: the Russia, the Lithuania and the Kazakhstan. The situation worsened much since 1965, time of the Quiet revolution. The committed suicide Québécois prisoners count for 60 % of the suicides in prison medium in Canada, whereas they should represent only 23 démographiquement of it; %. The Autochtones young people form the sample most seriously touched: their rate reaches from 3,3 to 3,9 times the national average. That represents 211 Inuit S of the Nunavik committed suicide for 100 000 inhabitants.

Certain sociologists theorized the urban factors, the loss of the social clericalism, poverty and the dependences psychological and physical like the Drogue, alcohol and the play to explain all these losses of life. The media often showed reports of young Amerindians inhaling of gas, being pricked with the Héroïne or deceiving Appareils of video lottery of Lotto-Quebec.

The United States

August 1st

Amerindians of Canada

The Amerindian S of North America lived radical transformations, particularly with the Canada where the various wandering clans or seminomads were thorough with sedentariness. One finds among these people an endemic suicide rate: that of the First nations is practically four times higher than in Canada in general. One could compare it with that of other people having undergone important social upheavals brought by the Colonisation the such natives of the Îles Fiji, of the Australia, the New Zealand, the Paraguay and the Brésil.

The group more at the risk among the populations of the First nations would be that of the men of 15-24 years - what corresponds to the group more at the risk in the population in general - at which suicide rate is of 126 per 10.000 inhabitants. That in general represents an abnormally high rate compared with that of the same group in Canada which accounts for 24 per 10.000 inhabitants. In the young women autochtones of the same group of age, suicide rate accounts for 35 per 10.000 inhabitants, compared with 5 per 10.000 in Canada in general for the same category (CANADA HEALTH). These figures do not take on the other hand account of the not supplemented suicides. If one trusts the population in general, the women achieve suicide attempts, but use less reliable means; that produced, finally, less effective suicides than at the men and does not translate the psychological distress which seizes the group of the women in reality. Let us add all the same that at Autochtones, the man lost the developing role of hunter-provider to acquire that of unemployed and that in this devalorization probably the key of several suicides is.

The figuring of the suicide attempts poses problem since it is carried out in deprived and anonymity. It is estimated that: “up to 25 percent of accidental deaths at the autochtones are in fact of the not-declared suicides”. This question of the suicide at the populations autochtones is extremely complex and draws its roots in four centuries from history.

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