scholarly journals Sociodemographic Analysis of Suicide Rates Among Older Adults Living in Ecuador: 1997–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Isabela Troya ◽  
Rebekka M. Gerstner ◽  
Freddy Narvaez ◽  
Ella Arensman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
Undetermined Intent ◽  
Log Linear

Background: Despite most suicides occurring in low-and-middle-income countries (LAMICs), limited reports on suicide rates in older adults among LAMICs are available. In Ecuador, high suicide rates have been reported among adolescents. Little is known about the epidemiology of suicides among older adults in Ecuador.Aim: To examine the sociodemographic characteristics of suicides among older adults living in Ecuador from 1997 to 2019.Methods: An observational study was conducted using Ecuador's National Institute of Census and Statistics database from 1997 to 2019 in Ecuadorians aged 60 and older. International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) (X60-X84)-reported suicide deaths were included in addition to deaths of events of undetermined intent (Y21-Y33). Sex, age, ethnicity, educational level, and method of suicide were analyzed. Annual suicide rates were calculated per 100,000 by age, sex, and method. To examine the trends in rates of suicide, Joinpoint analysis using Poisson log-linear regression was used.Results: Suicide rates of female older adults remained relatively stable between 1997 and 2019 with an average annual percentage increase of 2.4%, while the male rates increased between 2002 and 2009, 2014 and 2016, and maintained relatively stable within the past 3 years (2017–2019). The annual age-adjusted male suicide rate was 29.8 per 100,000, while the female suicide rate was 5.26 per 100,000 during the study period. When adding deaths of undetermined intent, the annual male rate was 60.5 per 100,000, while the same rate was 14.3 for women. The most common suicide method was hanging (55.7%) followed by self-poisoning (26.0%). The highest suicide numbers were reported in urban districts, men, and those with lower education status.Conclusion: This study contributes to building the baseline for further studies on suicide rates of older adults in Ecuador. Results highlight priority areas of suicide prevention. By examining suicide trends over 23 years, findings can help inform policy and future interventions targeting suicide prevention.

Suicide Trends According to Age, Gender, and Marital Status in South Korea

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Woo Kim ◽  
Hee Young Jung ◽  
Do Yeon Won ◽  
Jae Hyun Noh ◽  
Yong Seok Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Natural Process ◽  
Social Burden ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
The World

The purpose of this study is to examine suicide trends in South Korea, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The results show that the male suicide rate outweighs that of females, the likelihood of committing suicide increases with age, and that, in regard to marital status, nonmarried people are the most at risk. In addition, several methods of reducing suicide rates are identified: the wider use of social networks to reduce social burden, the development of a social atmosphere where aging is accepted as a natural process, and the development of protection factors within families.

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.

State Regulations for Suicide Prevention in Jails and the Jail Suicide Rate

1992 ◽  
Vol 71 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1170-1170
Author(s):  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
State Standards ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Suicide Rates

The jail suicide rates for 1985–1986 were not related to the existence of state standards for jail suicide prevention which had been established in 13 of 35 states responding to a 1989 survey, but were related to the states' jail population.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Australian youth suicide prevention initiatives

2011 ◽  
Vol 199 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Page ◽  
Richard Taylor ◽  
David Gunnell ◽  
Greg Carter ◽  
Stephen Morrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Prevention Strategy ◽  
Youth Suicide ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
Prevention Activity ◽  
Prevention Activities

BackgroundAfter an epidemic rise in Australian young male suicide rates over the 1970s to 1990s, the period following the implementation of the original National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy (NYSPS) in 1995 saw substantial declines in suicide in young men.AimsTo investigate whether areas with locally targeted suicide prevention activity implemented after 1995 experienced lower rates of young adult suicide, compared with areas without such activity.MethodLocalities with or without identified suicide prevention activity were compared during the period of the NYSPS implementation (1995–1998) and a period subsequent to implementation (1999–2002) to establish whether annual average suicide rates were lower and declined more quickly in areas with suicide prevention activity over the period 1995–2002.ResultsMale suicide rates were lower in areas with targeted suicide prevention activity (and higher levels of funding) compared with areas receiving no activity both during (RR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.80–0.99,P= 0.030) and after (RR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.77–0.96,P= 0.009) implementation, with rates declining faster in areas with targeted activity than in those without (13%v.10% decline). However, these differences were reduced and were no longer statistically significant following adjustment for sociodemographic variables. There was no difference in female suicide rates between areas with or without targeted suicide prevention activity.ConclusionsThere was little discernible impact on suicide rates in areas receiving locally targeted suicide prevention activities in the period following the NYSPS.

scholarly journals Trends in national suicide rates for Scotland and for England & Wales, 1960–2008

2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pearl L. H. Mok ◽  
Navneet Kapur ◽  
Kirsten Windfuhr ◽  
Alastair H. Leyland ◽  
Louis Appleby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
National Data ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Male Suicide ◽  
Undetermined Intent ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
National Trends ◽  
Gender Specific

BackgroundSuicide rates in Scotland have increased markedly relative to those in England in recent decades.AimsTo compare changing patterns of suicide risk in Scotland with those in England & Wales, 1960–2008.MethodFor Scotland and for England & Wales separately, we obtained national data on suicide counts and population estimates. Gender-specific, directly age-standardised rates were calculated.ResultsWe identified three distinct temporal phases: 1960–1967, when suicide rates in England & Wales were initially higher than in Scotland, but then converged; 1968–1991, when male suicide rates in Scotland rose slightly faster than in England & Wales; and 1992–2008, when there was a marked divergence in national trends. Much of the recent divergence in rates is attributable to the rise in suicide among young men and deaths by hanging in Scotland. Introduction of the ‘undetermined intent’ category in 1968 had a significant impact on suicide statistics across Great Britain, but especially so in Scotland.ConclusionsDifferences in temporal patterns in suicide risk between the countries are complex. Reversal of the divergent trends may require a change in the perception of hanging as a ‘painless' method of suicide.

scholarly journals Gun Violence Restraining Order Laws and Firearm Suicide among Older Adults: A Longitudinal State-Level Analysis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Altaf Saadi ◽  
Kristen R Choi ◽  
Sae Takada ◽  
Fred J. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
State Level ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Gun Violence ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Gun Laws ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background: Older adults commit suicide at a disproportionately higher rate compared to the general population, with firearms the most common means of suicide. State gun laws may be a policy remedy. Less is known about Gun Violence Restricting Order (GVRO) laws, which allow for removal of firearms from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, and their effects on suicide rates among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of state firearm laws with the incidence of firearm, non-firearm-related, and total suicide among older adults, with a focus on GVRO laws. Methods: This is a longitudinal study of US states using data from 2012 to 2016. The outcome variables were firearm, non-firearm and total suicide rates among older adults. Predictor variables were (1) total number of gun laws to assess for impact of overall firearm legislation at the state level, and (2) GVRO laws. Results: The total number of firearm laws, as well as GVRO laws, were negatively associated with firearm-related suicide rate among older adults (p<0.001). There was a small but significant positive association of total number of firearm laws to non-firearm-related suicide rates and a negative association with total suicide rate. GVRO laws were not significantly associated with non-firearm-related suicide and were negatively associated with total suicide rate. Conclusion: Stricter firearm legislation, as well as GVRO laws, are protective against firearm-relate suicides among older adults.

Demographic and epidemiological decomposition analysis of global changes in suicide rates and numbers over the period 1990–2019

2021 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2021-044263
Author(s):  
Paul Siu Fai Yip ◽  
Yan Zheng ◽  
Clifford Wong
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Population Age Structure ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
The World

BackgroundSuicide presents an ongoing public health challenge internationally. Nearly 800 000 people around the world lose their life to suicide every year, and many more attempt suicide.MethodsA decomposition analysis was performed using global suicide mortality and population data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.ResultsDespite a significant decrease in age-specific suicide rate between 1990 and 2019 (-4.01; from 13.8% to 9.8% per 100 000), the overall numbers of suicide deaths increased by 19 897 (from 738 799 to 758 696) in the same time period. The reductions in age-specific suicide rates (−6.09; 152%) contributed to the overall reductions in suicide rates; however, this was offset by overtime changes in population age structure (2.08; −52%). The increase in suicide numbers was partly attributable to population growth (300 942; 1512.5%) and population age structure (189 512; 952.4%), which was attenuated by the significant reduction in overall suicide rates (−470 556; 2364.9%). The combined effect of these factors varied across the World Bank income level regions. For example, in the upper-middle-income level region, the effect of the reduction in age-specific suicide rates (−289 731; −1456.1%) exceeded the effect of population age structure (124 577; 626.1%) and population growth (83 855; 421.4%), resulting in its substantial decline in total suicide deaths (−81 298; −408.6%). However, in lower-middle income region, there was a notable increase in suicide death (72 550; 364.6%), which was related to the net gain of the reduction in age-specific suicide rates (-115 577; -580.9%) and negated by the increase in the number of suicide deaths due to population growth (152 093; 764.4%) and population age structure (36 034; 181.1%).ConclusionMore support and resources should be deployed for suicide prevention to the low-income and middle-income regions in order to achieve the reduction goal. Moreover, suicide prevention among older adults is increasingly critical given the world’s rapidly ageing populations in all income level regions.

Suicide in Later Life

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Van Orden ◽  
Caroline Silva ◽  
Yeates Conwell
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Universal Prevention ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Suicide Rates

Suicide in later life is a significant public health problem around the world—a problem that will increase in magnitude in the coming years with the impact of population aging. Adults age 70 and older have higher suicide rates than younger groups worldwide in both lower-income and higher-income countries. While suicide rates tend to increase with age, suicide in later life is not an expected or normative response to stressors that accompany the aging process. Instead, a constellation of risk factors places an older adult at elevated risk for suicide. These factors can be remembered as the Five D’s: psychiatric illness (primarily depression); functional impairment (also called disability, often associated with dependency on others); physical illness (particularly multiple comorbid diseases); social disconnectedness (including social isolation, loneliness, family conflict, and feeling like a burden); and access to lethal (deadly) means. The greatest risk occurs when multiple domains of risk converge in a given individual. Approaches to prevention can address the Five D’s. Given that older adults are reluctant to seek out mental healthcare and that standard primary care practice cannot easily provide it, models of primary care-based integrated care management for mental disorders, including in older adulthood, have been developed, rigorously tested, and widely disseminated. These models play an important role in suicide prevention by integrating treatment for physical and mental illness. Upstream, selective prevention strategies that target disconnectedness—such as engaging older adults as volunteers—may serve to reduce disconnectedness and thereby reduce suicide risk. Universal prevention strategies that involve growing the geriatric workforce may address disability by increasing older adults’ access to medical and social service providers with expertise in improving physical, cognitive, and social functioning, as well as improving quality of life. Addressing ageism and building age-friendly communities that use strategies to integrate older adults into society and promote social participation hold promise as universal prevention strategies. Ultimately, effective suicide prevention strategies for older adults must focus on improving quality of life as well as preventing suicide: strategies such as psychotherapy and medication for psychiatric disorders must be supplemented by prevention strategies for older adults give at all ages in addition to treating psychiatric disorders and suicidal thoughts is needed to address the problem of suicide in later life.

scholarly journals SUICIDE TRENDS AND DISPARITIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2008-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S692-S692
Author(s):  
Sanae El Ibrahimi ◽  
Yunyu Xiao ◽  
Matthew L Smith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
End Of Life Issues

Abstract Background: Suicide ranks within the top fifteen causes of death among adults 55 and older in the United States and is a growing concern in the face of social isolation and other end-of-life issues. This study examined differences and trends in suicide rates and methods among older adults in the U.S. Methods: Suicide mortality rates from 2008-2017 were derived from the Multiple Cause of Death files in the CDC’s WONDER database. Suicide deaths were identified from the underlying causes of death using ICD-10 codes. Age-adjusted death rates (per 100,000) were calculated. Older adults were grouped into four age categories: 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85+ years. Percent change in suicide rates between 2008-2017 were examined, which were then stratified by gender and top suicide methods. Results: Suicide rates increased by 16% among adults 55 years of age and older from 2008 to 2017 (15.4 vs 17.8 per 100,000 respectively). In 2017, the suicide rate among older adults was 27% higher than the general population (14.0 per 100,000). Suicide rates were significantly higher among men relative to women for those ages 85+ (14:1 ratio of males-to-females). However, females in the 65-74 age group experienced the highest increase of suicide rate (41%) compared to other females or males across age groups. The most common method of suicide was firearms, followed by poisoning and suffocation. Suffocation had the highest increase over time (37%). Conclusion: Rising suicide rates among older adults suggest the need for tailored intervention strategies that address upstream suicide-related risk factors.

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