The possible effect of altitude on regional variation in suicide rates

Haws, Charlotte; Gray, Douglas; Yurgelun‐Todd, Deborah; Moskos, Michelle; Meyer, Laurence; Renshaw, Perry F.

doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.05.040

Cited by 79 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Our previous abstract work on altitude and suicide (Cheng et al, 2005) was done by comparing mean state altitude with suicide data for entire states and was repeated by others using peak altitude for each state and state capital city elevations (Haws et al, 2009). Although both studies reported strong correlations (r ¼ 0.75 and 0.74, respectively), they were …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the problem is obviously worse when considering entire states (Cheng et al, 2005), it is a lesser concern even for large counties. However, the consistency of the association across different measures of altitude [i.e., when measured at both the state level (Cheng et al, 2005;Haws et al, 2009) and now the county level] suggests that the association is not spurious. We addressed other potential limitations in the analysis (e.g., contribution of Mountain states, exclusion of unreliable data), and the altitude-suicide finding was very robust.…”

Section: Us Suicide Rates Increase With Altitudementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these studies the mean or highest state altitude (Cheng et al, 2005;Haws et al, 2009) or the elevation of the state capital city (Haws et al, 2009) was used to represent the altitude of the entire state. However, because U.S. states vary greatly in altitude and the foregoing methodology severely minimizes this variation, we considered these initial findings to be of a preliminary nature only.…”

Section: Us Suicide Rates Increase With Altitudementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Positive Association between Altitude and Suicide in 2584 U.S. Counties

Brenner

Cheng

Clark

et al. 2011

High Altitude Medicine & Biology

114

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Positive association between altitude and suicide in 2584 U.S.counties. High Alt. Med. Biol. 12: 31-35, 2011.-Suicide is an important public health problem worldwide. Recent preliminary studies have reported a positive correlation between mean altitude and the suicide rate of the 48 contiguous U.S.states. Because intrastate altitude may have large variation, we examined all 2584 U.S. counties to evaluate whether an independent relationship between altitude and suicide exists. We hypothesized that counties at higher elevation would have higher suicide rates. This retrospective study examines 20 yr of county-specific mortality data from 1979 to 1998. County altitude was obtained from the U.S. Geologic Survey. Statistical analysis included Pearson correlation, t tests, and multivariable linear and logistic regression. Although there was a negative correlation between county altitude and all-cause mortality (r ¼ À0.31, p < 0.001), there was a strong positive correlation between altitude and suicide rate (r ¼ 0.50, p < 0.001). Mean altitude differed in the 50 counties, with the highest suicide rates compared to those with the lowest rates (4684 vs. 582 ft, p < 0.001). Controlling for percent of age >50 yr, percent male, percent white, median household income, and population density of each county, the higher-altitude counties had significantly higher suicide rates than the lower-altitude counties. Similar findings were observed for both firearm-related suicides (59% of suicides) and nonfirearm-related suicides. We conclude that altitude may be a novel risk factor for suicide in the contiguous United States.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Us Suicide Rates Increase With Altitudementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Us Suicide Rates Increase With Altitudementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Positive Association between Altitude and Suicide in 2584 U.S. Counties

Brenner

Cheng

Clark

et al. 2011

High Altitude Medicine & Biology

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, poor accessibility to social resources (e.g., medical institutions) and suicide rate were positively correlated. They also reported that low oxygen conditions in high-elevation areas are a risk factor that may induce depression (Haws et al, 2009).…”

Section: Previous Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Ecology and Suicide: An Analysis of Topographic and Climatic Characteristics in Areas With Low and High Suicide Incidence

Oka

2014

PSYCHOLOGIA -An International Journal of Psychological Sciences

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The current article examines the potential role of topography in suicide. First, I analyzed suicide data from 3,318 municipalities in Japan during the 30-year period of . I found that suicide rate was higher in municipalities with steeper slopes than less steep slopes. Moreover, the association between steep slopes and suicide rate remained significant, controlling for other well-known ecological factors such as population density, daylight hours, and snow. Second, I found that elevation per se was less important in predicting suicide rate than the presence of sharp slopes. That is, even if two municipalities are located in the same elevation (e.g., 600 meters above the water level), a municipality with more steep slopes tends to have a higher suicide rate than a municipality with more flat areas. In a flat community, there are more shops, clinics, and other gathering places easily accessible to its residents than in a sloped community. More generally, I posit that harsh natural environments demand more patience and self-control, which in turn makes residents in harsh environments less likely to seek help from others, which could result in a higher rate of suicide.

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“…Haws and colleagues 11 investigated the possible role of altitude in the greater suicide rate seen in the western United States. They found highly significant correlations between suicide rates and both the highest elevation in each state and the elevation of the state capital.…”

Section: Altitude and Suicidementioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated incidence of suicide in people living at altitude, smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: possible role of hypoxia causing decreased serotonin synthesis

Young

2013

J Psychiatry Neurosci

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The possible effect of altitude on regional variation in suicide rates

Cited by 79 publications

References 20 publications

Positive Association between Altitude and Suicide in 2584 U.S. Counties

Positive Association between Altitude and Suicide in 2584 U.S. Counties

Social Ecology and Suicide: An Analysis of Topographic and Climatic Characteristics in Areas With Low and High Suicide Incidence

Elevated incidence of suicide in people living at altitude, smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: possible role of hypoxia causing decreased serotonin synthesis

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