Drug suicide: a sex-equal cause of death in 16 European countries

Abstract

BackgroundThere is a lack of international research on suicide by drug overdose as a preventable suicide method. Sex- and age-specific rates of suicide by drug self-poisoning (ICD-10, X60-64) and the distribution of drug types used in 16 European countries were studied, and compared with other self-poisoning methods (X65-69) and intentional self-injury (X70-84).MethodsData for 2000-04/05 were collected from national statistical offices. Age-adjusted suicide rates, and age and sex distributions, were calculated.ResultsNo pronounced sex differences in drug self-poisoning rates were found, either in the aggregate data (males 1.6 and females 1.5 per 100,000) or within individual countries. Among the 16 countries, the range (from some 0.3 in Portugal to 5.0 in Finland) was wide. 'Other and unspecified drugs' (X64) were recorded most frequently, with a range of 0.2-1.9, and accounted for more than 70% of deaths by drug overdose in France, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Psychotropic drugs (X61) ranked second. The X63 category ('other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system') was least frequently used. Finland showed low X64 and high X61 figures, Scotland had high levels of X62 ('narcotics and hallucinogens, not elsewhere classified') for both sexes, while England exceeded other countries in category X60. Risk was highest among the middle-aged everywhere except in Switzerland, where the elderly were most at risk.ConclusionsSuicide by drug overdose is preventable. Intentional self-poisoning with drugs kills as many males as females. The considerable differences in patterns of self-poisoning found in the various European countries are relevant to national efforts to improve diagnostics of suicide and appropriate specific prevention. The fact that vast majority of drug-overdose suicides came under the category X64 refers to the need of more detailed ICD coding system for overdose suicides is needed to permit better design of suicide-prevention strategies at national level.

Suicide attempts in Brazil, 1998–2014: an ecological study

“…This pattern is similar to that for suicide mortality, as more men than women die [11–13]. This is a predominant phenomenon in men in most countries, except some Asian countries such as China and is the result of differences in the methods of suicide attempt used between males and females [14]. In fact, in one study, the methods of attempted suicide were hanging or gunshot for seven out of ten boys and drug overdose for nine out of ten girls [15].…”

Early maladaptive schemas in hospitalized patients for suicide attempt

“…Regarding the suicide attempts, the most frequent methods were weapons and use of drugs/poisoning, matching with other studies (Ferreira & Trichês, 2014;Almeida, Guedes, Nogueira, França, & Silva, 2009;Meneghel, Victora, Faria, Carvalho, & Falk, 2004). Suicide attempt strategies are influenced by the occasion (Värnik et al, 2011). The method used to attempt suicide also involves cultural factors, and in Rio Grande do Sul, hanging is the cause of 60% of suicides (Ferreira & Trichês, 2014).…”

Analysis of suicide cases in post-mortem examination files of the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Białystok (2003 to 2015)

“…cant differences between sex and age and ingested drug type [36]. In our study we analyzed a total of 24 such cases and found that the most common drugs were opioid analgesics and neuroleptics.…”

“…They found no statistically signifi-stycznie różnic pomiędzy płcią i wiekiem oraz rodzajem zażytego leku [36]. Badanie autorów niniejszej pracy objęło łącznie 24-osobową grupę, wśród której najczęściej zażywane były opioidowe leki przeciwbólo-we i neuroleptyki.…”