Core features of suicide. Gender, age, alcohol and other putative risk factors in a low-incidence population

Abstract

The aim of the study was to elucidate some supposed core features of suicide through a study of suicide in a low-incidence population. The material covered all suicides and undetermined deaths 1945-2004 in the Faroe Islands (a low-incidence population) and the study made use of all available information. Results showed that suicide rate had been low since the Second World War. However, there was an increase throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Supposed core features of suicide, such as gender, marital status, former psychiatric admittance, former suicidal behaviour, alcohol and method preference were confirmed. Others were not, such as an increasing rate with old age. In diagnostics, the role of psychiatric disorders was confirmed, but so was a substantial role of "no disorder". Increase period revealed a high proportion of cases with alcohol involved and a substantial part included males, in age groups 25-64 years, unmarried, divorced and alcohol intoxicated. The main conclusion was that a low-incidence population of suicide population confirmed some supposed core features of the suicide phenomenon. Others, related to age and psychiatric disorders, were only partially confirmed. In periods of increase, the most vulnerable were the young and middle-aged males, unmarried, divorced, and alcohol played a crucial role.

Evidence Supporting an Independent Association between Childhood Physical Abuse and Lifetime Suicidal Ideation

“…These adult health risk behaviors have also been associated with suicidality. Alcohol use (Dube et al., 2001; Flensborg‐Madsen et al., 2009; Joiner et al., 2007; Wang & Stora, 2009), illicit drug use (Dube et al., 2001; Fergusson et al., 2008; Hardt et al., 2008; Joiner et al., 2007), and smoking (Bronisch, Hofler, & Lieb, 2008; Schneider et al., 2009) are each highly associated with suicidal behaviors. Research on physical activity level is less clear; however, increased physical activity has been found to protect against suicidal behaviors among younger adults (Bjerkeset, Romundstad, Evans, & Gunnell, 2008; Kaplan, McFarland, & Huguet, 2007; Mukamal & Miller, 2009).…”

Suicide, mental disorder and responsibility

“…However, the pioneer suicide researcher Erwin Stengel (1964) estimated mental disorder was present in only 37% of those who complete suicide. Recent work (Wang & Stora, 2009) found evidence of psychiatric or drug disorders in 61% of suicides in the Faroe Islands, and work from China found a 'startlingly' low rate of mental disorder among completers (Law & Liu, 2008). Research in India also found a low rate of mental disorder, but a high rate of 'stresses stemming from social practices and perceptions' among completers (Vijayakumar et al, 2005;Jacob, 2008, Bastia & Kar, 2009).…”

“…Not all suicide is the result of mental disorder, and this can be substantiated by recent population (Wang & Stora, 2009;Law & Liu, 2008;Jacob, 2008, Bastia & Kar, 2009Maselko & Patel, 2009) and individual (Cheah et al, 2008;Pridmore & McArthur 2008, 2009Pridmore 2009) studies.…”

Development of Scales to Assess Children’s Perceptions of Friend and Parental Influences on Physical Activity

“…Thus the results of this study should be interpreted cautiously. Finally, this study only included several socio-environmental variables (i.e., rainfall, temperature, SEIFA, demographic variables), while other factors like personal and family history of mental health and psychiatric problems [58,59], local health service facilities [60], nutrition [61,62], religion [63,64], alcohol and drug use [65][66][67] may also influence mental health status and suicidal behaviours. However, the information on these variables was unavailable in this study.…”