Might the decrease in the suicide rates in France be due to regional prevention programmes?

BackgroundLittle is known about the effects of lithium intake through drinking water on suicide. This intake originates either from natural rock and soil elution and/or accumulation of lithium-based pharmaceuticals in ground water.AimsTo examine the interplay between natural lithium in drinking water, prescribed lithium-based pharmaceuticals and suicide in Austria.MethodSpatial Bayesian regressions for males, females and pooled suicide mortality rates were estimated.ResultsAlthough the expected inverse association between lithium levels in drinking water and suicide mortality was confirmed for males and for total suicide rates, the relationship for females was not significant. The models do not indicate that lithium from prescriptions, assumed to accumulate in drinking water, is related to suicide risk patterns either as an individual effect or as a moderator of lithium levels in drinking water. Gender-specific differences in risk factors and local risk hot spots are confirmed.ConclusionsThe findings do not support the hypotheses that lithium prescriptions have measureable protective effects on suicide or that they interact with lithium in drinking water.

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“…In a similar study in France, regional prescription rates were negatively associated with male suicide. 31…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality: Interplay with lithium prescriptions

2015

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“…Both the suicide trend and the trend for undetermined intent are similar with a relative decrease around 40-50% during the studied period. While several explanations have been given for the decrease in suicides (better awareness of health care personnel, different kinds of prevention programs, and a rise in the use of antidepressants) the reason for the decline in deaths classified as undetermined intents needs further investigation [24-26]. However, it would be reasonable to speculate that the decrease in deaths classified as undetermined intent naturally should follow the decline in suicides since a certain amount of suicides are misclassified as undetermined intent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide or undetermined intent? A register-based study of signs of misclassification

Björkenstam

Johansson

Nordström

et al. 2014

Popul Health Metrics

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BackgroundSeveral studies have concluded that some deaths classified as undetermined intent are in fact suicides, and it is common in suicide research in Europe to include these deaths. Our aim was to investigate if information on background variables would be helpful in assessing if deaths classified as undetermined intent should be included in the analyses of suicides.MethodsWe performed a register study of 31,883 deaths classified as suicides and 9,196 deaths classified as undetermined intent in Sweden from 1987 to 2011. We compared suicide deaths with deaths classified as undetermined intent with regard to different background variables such as sex, age, country of birth, marital status, prior inpatient care for self-inflicted harm, alcohol and drug abuse, psychiatric inpatient care, and use of psychotropics. We also performed a multivariate analysis with logistic regression.ResultsOur results showed differences in most studied background factors. Higher education was more common in suicides; hospitalization for self-inflicted harm was more common among female suicides as was prior psychiatric inpatient care. Deaths in foreign-born men were classified as undetermined intent in a higher degree and hospitalization for substance abuse was more common in undetermined intents of both sexes. Roughly 50% of both suicide and deaths classified as undetermined intent had a filled prescription of psychotropics during their last six months. Our multivariate analysis showed male deaths to more likely be classified as suicide than female: OR: 1.13 (1.07-1.18). The probability of a death being classified as suicide was also increased for individuals aged 15–24, being born in Sweden, individuals who were married, and for deaths after 1987–1992.ConclusionBy analyzing Sweden’s unique high-validity population-based register data, we found several differences in background variables between deaths classified as suicide and deaths classified as undetermined intent. However, we were not able to clearly distinguish these two death manners. For future research we suggest, separate analyses of the two different manners of death.

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“…There is little evidence that specific suicide prevention programs have a major impact on population rates of suicide. The reductions in suicide rates reported in some countries have more to do with secular trends and improvements in living standards than specific prevention programs (Bellanger, Jourdain, & Batt-Moillo, 2007).…”

Section: Suicide Prevention Programs and Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Prevention of Suicide in India and the Developing World

Jacob

2008

Crisis

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Very high rates of suicide have been reported from India and the developing world. However, much of the debate on suicide prevention focuses on individuals, methods, site-specific solutions, or particular suicide prevention strategies. This article argues for population based approaches that focus on improving the general health of populations (e.g., macroeconomic policies that aim for social justice, schemes to meet basic human needs, organizing local support groups within vulnerable sections of society, developing and implementing an essential pesticide list, addressing gender issues, and increasing public awareness through the mass media) rather than medical, psychiatric, and other strategies that target individuals (e.g., treatment of mental illness, counseling, etc.) in order to reduce high suicide rates in India and developing countries. Individual approaches will help people in distress and prevent individuals from committing suicide, but will not reduce population suicide rates.

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Might the decrease in the suicide rates in France be due to regional prevention programmes?

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality: Interplay with lithium prescriptions

Lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality: Interplay with lithium prescriptions

Suicide or undetermined intent? A register-based study of signs of misclassification

The Prevention of Suicide in India and the Developing World

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