Gender differences in suicide in Serbia within the period 2006–2010
Abstract
Background/Aim. The complex multifactorial etiology of suicide suggests the need to consider gender differences when developing effective strategies for suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to examine the suicide rates and/or trends obtained for population as a whole, including gender differences in cases of committed suicide and to consider factors (age groups, education, employment, marital status, nationality and methods) associated with it in Serbia within the period 2006–2010. Methods. Data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Their classification related to the suicide method was carried out on the basis of ICD-X Code, WHO 1992 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th revision, World Health Organization). Statistical analysis was done by using the crude specific suicide rate. Results. Within the period 2006–2010 the total number of suicides in Serbia was 6,673, of which 71.9% were males and 28.1% females (male to female suicide ratio 2.56 : 1). Their average rate was 18.15 per 100,000 persons, namely, 26.85 per 100,000 for males and 9.92 per 100,000 for females. Suicide was most often committed by married males and females with high school education, retired, by the Serbs. The suicide rate in Serbia increased paralelly with the age of suicide committers and it was the highest in subjects of both genders aged over 75 years. The most common suicide method in males (62.78%) and in females (58.38%) was hanging and strangling. The second most common method in males was by firearm (18.65%) and in females poisoning (19.26%). Conclusions. Suicide prevention Programme should be primarily oriented toward the male population because it is more exposed to stress in the period of social transition, but males are still less ready to ask for doctor's help when having some problems with mental health.
References
World Health Organization. Mental health. Suicide rates. Available from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide_rates/en/
Cibis A, Mergl R, Bramesfeld A, Althaus D, Niklewski G, Schmidtke A, et al. Preference of lethal methods is not the only cause for higher suicide rates in males. J Affect Disord 2012; 136(1−2): 9−16.
Kanchan T, Menon A, Menezes RG. Methods of choice in com-pleted suicides: gender differences and review of literature. J Forensic Sci 2009; 54(4): 938−42.
Large MM, Nielssen OB. Suicide in Australia: meta-analysis of rates and methods of suicide between 1988 and 2007. Med J Aust 2010; 192(8): 432−7.
Wasserman D, Rihmer Z, Rujescu D, Sarchiapone M, Sokolowski M, Titelman D, et al. The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on suicide treatment and prevention. Eur Psychiatry 2012; 27(2): 129−41.
Hawton K, van Heeringen K. Suicide. Lancet 2009; 373(9672): 1372−81.
Dedić G. Suicide, help, hope-psychotherapeutic crisis interven-tion following suicide attempt. Beograd: Media centar “Od-brana”; 2011.
Penev G, Stanković B. Suicides in Serbia at the beginning of the 21st century and trends in the past fifty years. Stanovništvo 2007; 45(2): 25−62. (Serbian)
Penev G, Stanković B. Suicides in Serbia: Vulnerable men. Soci-jalna misao 2009; 16(4): 151−68. (Serbian)
Selakovic-Bursic S, Haramic E, Leenaars AA. The Balkan Pied-mont: male suicide rates pre-war, wartime, and post-war in Serbia and Montenegro. Arch Suicide Res 2006; 10(3): 225−38. (Serbian)
World Health Organization. International classification of dis-eases. 10th Revision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1989.
Värnik P. Suicide in the world. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012; 9(3): 760−71.
Santic Z, Ostojic L, Hrabac B, Prlic J, Beslic J. Suicide frequency in West-Herzegovina Canton for the period 1984-2008. Med Arh 2010; 64(3): 168−70.
Sedić B, Martinac M, Marcinko D, Loncar C, Jakovljević M. Suicides in Croatia 1993-2001: regional differences. Psychiatr Danub 2003; 15(3−4): 175−84.
Karlović D, Gale R, Thaller V, Martinac M, Katinić K, Matošić A. Epidemiological study of suicide in Croatia (1993-2003): Comparison of Mediterranean and continental areas. Coll An-tropol 2005; 29(2): 519−25.
Zhjeqi V, Ramadani N, Gashi S, Mucaj S, Berisha M, Neziri L, Shahini M. Suicide prevalence in Kosova for the period 2006-2007. Med Arh 2010; 64(1): 44−7.
Injac-Stevović L, Jašović-Gašić M, Vuković O, Peković M, Terzić N. Gender differences in relation to suicides committed in the capital of Montenegro (Podgorica) in the period 2000-2006. Psychiatr Danub 2011; 23(1): 45−52.
Lundin A, Lundberg I, Allebeck P, Hemmingsson T. Unemployment and suicide in the Stockholm population: a register-based study on 771,068 men and women. Public Health 2012; 126(5): 371−7.
Schneider B, Grebner K, Schnabel A, Hampel H, Georgi K, Seidler A. Impact of employment status and work-related factors on risk of completed suicide. A case-control psychological autopsy study. Psychiatry Res 2011; 190(2−3): 265−70.
Fässberg MM, van Orden KA, Duberstein P, Erlangsen A, Lapierre S, Bodner E, et al. A systematic review of social factors and sui-cidal behavior in older adulthood. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012; 9(3): 722−45.
Dedić G, Panić M. Suicide risk factors in the professional mili-tary personnel in the Army of Serbia. Vojnosanit Pregl 2010; 67(4): 303−12. (Serbian)
Dedić G, Panić M. Soldiers suicides risk factors in the Serbian Army Forces. Vojnosanit Pregl 2010; 67(7): 548−57.
Cheong KS, Choi MH, Cho BM, Yoon TH, Kim CH, Kim YM, et al. Suicide rate differences by sex, age, and urbanicity, and related regional factors in Korea. J Prev Med Public Health 2012; 45(2): 70−7.
Arsenault-Lapierre G, Kim C, Turecki G. Psychiatric diagnoses in 3275 suicides: a meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2004; 4: 37.
