The effect of altitude and climate on the suicide rates in Turkey

Aşırdizer, Mahmut; Kartal, Erhan; Etli, Yasin; Tatlısumak, Ertuğrul; Gümüş, Orhan; Hekimoğlu, Yavuz; Keskin, Sıddık

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2017.12.012

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The results of the present study are also consistent with the published evidence that increased suicide rates are associated with mountainous areas of the USA, an association that, notably, has been replicated by investigators working in multiple other countries, which may be plausibly linked with altered brain bioenergetics in the cerebral cortex of both BD and healthy subjects, possibly reflecting altitude‐related changes in the brain. These changes in brain chemistry may serve as biomarkers relevant to altitude that may contribute to the vulnerability of individuals who suffer from, or are at risk for the development of, BD.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Cerebral bioenergetic differences measured by phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy between bipolar disorder and healthy subjects living in two different regions suggesting possible effects of altitude

Hwang

DeLisi

Öngür

et al. 2019

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim Increased oxidative stress in cerebral mitochondria may follow exposure to the systemic hypobaric hypoxia associated with residing at higher altitudes. Because mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in bipolar disorder (BD) pathophysiology, this may impact the cerebral bioenergetics in BD. In this study, we evaluated the cerebral bioenergetics of BD and healthy control (HC) subjects at two sites, located at sea level and at moderate altitude. Methods Forty‐three veterans with BD and 33 HC veterans were recruited in Boston (n = 22) and Salt Lake City (SLC; n = 54). Levels of phosphocreatine, β nucleoside triphosphate (βNTP), inorganic phosphate, and pH over total phosphate (TP) were measured using phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the following brain regions: anterior cingulate cortex and posterior occipital cortex, as well as bilateral prefrontal and occipitoparietal (OP) white matter (WM). Results A significant main effect of site was found in βNTP/TP (Boston > SLC) and phosphocreatine/TP (Boston < SLC) in most cortical and WM regions, and inorganic phosphate/TP (Boston < SLC) in OP regions. A main effect analysis of BD diagnosis demonstrated a lower pH in posterior occipital cortex and right OP WM and a lower βNTP/TP in right prefrontal WM in BD subjects, compared to HC subjects. Conclusion The study showed that there were cerebral bioenergetic differences in both BD and HC veteran participants at two different sites, which may be partly explained by altitude difference. Future studies are needed to replicate these results in order to elucidate the dysfunctional mitochondrial changes that occur in response to hypobaric hypoxia.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Cerebral bioenergetic differences measured by phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy between bipolar disorder and healthy subjects living in two different regions suggesting possible effects of altitude

Hwang

DeLisi

Öngür

et al. 2019

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, it was found that there was a relationship between suicidal action and many other factors. Psychiatric diseases and psychological characteristics (panic disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression), consumption and addiction of alcohol and drugs, physical ailments, cultural and social factors (marital status, concept of honor, perception of religion, political conditions) and economic situation (insufficient social support, unemployment, low income, poor access to health services) were defined as risk factors that might lead to suicide or non-fatal suicide attempts in individuals [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of suicide deaths in Turkey between 2015 and 2019

Emiral¹,

Emiral²,

Cevik³

et al. 2022

J. Mens. Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and objectives: Although suicide is the act of an individual, it is an important public health problem that affects the individual's environment and also society. Approximately 800,000 people die by suicide each year. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics of fatal suicides in Turkey between 2015 and 2019. Materials and methods: This observational-analytical study was conducted by examining retrospec-tive records in the period 2015–2019. The study was conducted by secondary analysis based on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute. Results: During the study period, the suicide rate (per 100,000) varied in the range 3.94–4.15 and the mean (standard deviation, SD) was 4.07 (0.09). The mean (SD) suicide rate was 6.14 (0.13) in males and 1.99 (0.18) in females; it was higher in males (z = 2.611; p = 0.008). Considering age groups, there was no difference between sex in terms of suicide rate among those aged <19 years (z = 1.617; p = 0.446), whereas the suicide rate was higher in males and in those aged ≥20 years (p < 0.05 for each). During the study period, the most common suicide mean in both men and women was "by hanging". The incidence of suicide using chemical substances and by jumping from a height was higher in women than in men, whereas the rate of suicide using firearms was high in men (p = 0.000). When the female/male suicide rate was compared according to marital status, the suicide rate was observed to be higher in men regardless of marital status, and this difference was more striking in men who were divorced or whose spouse had died. Conclusion: Between 2015 and 2019, the suicide rate was higher especially in older men and in those who had lost a spouse. Therefore, socio-demographic characteristics should be considered in planning interventions to prevent suicides and guiding rehabilitation programs following a suicide attempt.

show abstract

“…Positive associations between suicide rates and sunshine duration [10,17,18], and temperature fluctuations [19][20][21][22] were also reported. Furthermore, the extent to which suicides are affected by climatic factors is related to the methods used in suicide attempts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Hot Weather and Suicide Deaths among Older Adults in Hong Kong, 1976–2014: A Retrospective Study

Chau

Yip

Lau

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Findings of the association between hot weather and suicide in a subtropical city such as Hong Kong are inconsistent. This study aimed to revisit the association by identifying meteorological risk factors for older-adult suicides in Hong Kong using a time-series approach. A retrospective study was conducted on older-adult (aged ≥65) suicide deaths in Hong Kong from 1976 to 2014. Suicides were classified into those involving violent methods and those involving nonviolent methods. Meteorological data, including ambient temperature, were retrieved. Transfer function time-series models were fitted. In total, 7314 older-adult suicide deaths involving violent methods and 630 involving nonviolent methods were recorded. For violent-method suicides, a monthly average daily minimum ambient temperature was determined to best predict the monthly rate, and a daily maximum ambient temperature of 30.3 °C was considered the threshold. For suicide deaths involving nonviolent methods, the number of days in a month for which the daily maximum ambient temperature exceeded 32.7 °C could best predict the monthly rate. Higher ambient temperature was associated with more older-adult suicide deaths, both from violent and nonviolent methods. Weather-focused preventive measures for older-adult suicides are necessary, such as the provision of more public air-conditioned areas where older adults can shelter from extreme hot weather.

show abstract

The effect of altitude and climate on the suicide rates in Turkey

Cited by 14 publications

References 30 publications

Cerebral bioenergetic differences measured by phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy between bipolar disorder and healthy subjects living in two different regions suggesting possible effects of altitude

Cerebral bioenergetic differences measured by phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy between bipolar disorder and healthy subjects living in two different regions suggesting possible effects of altitude

Investigation of suicide deaths in Turkey between 2015 and 2019

Hot Weather and Suicide Deaths among Older Adults in Hong Kong, 1976–2014: A Retrospective Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About