Entrapment and escape: Exploring the relationship between suicide and emigration in a post-communist country

Abstract

Background: Suicide rate in Hungary was nearly the highest in the world in the decades preceding the transition of the social system. Shortly after the transition in 1989, a radical decrease in fatal suicides occurred, parallel with a marked increase in emigration. Methods: We analyzed the data published by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office to detect if there was an association between the remarkable drop in suicide rates and the changes in emigration rates from 1995 to 2019. Results: The results of a brief statistical analysis on the correlation between suicide rate and emigration confirmed a strong negative relationship ( r = −.855, p = .00). For more precise results, we applied linear regression analysis, which showed that the emigration rate predicted 73.2% of suicide rate variances with a high predictive value (β = −.983). Conclusion: The study provides a possible explanation through a phenomenological analysis on major life transformations. Relating the arrested flight/cry of pain theory, the theory of rites of passage and double-bind communication resulted a comprehensive and coherent, but not exhaustive explanation on the relationship between suicide and emigration.

Sex differences in entrapment in a multinational sample: a network analysis perspective

“…In recent studies, there has been increasing interest in the transdiagnostic significance of the concept of entrapment in connection with various psychological disorders. These include, but are not limited to, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and contemplation of suicide ( 42 ). Although there is previous research that has documented differences between men and women in relation to entrapment, it is important to note that this study distinguishes itself by being a multinational investigation that focuses on specifically assessing gender disparities in the concept of entrapment through network analysis.…”