Trends in Suicide Mortality in Taiwan (1971–2005)
Author Information
Author(s): Lin Jin-Jia, Lu Tsung-Hsueh
Primary Institution: Department of Psychiatry, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Hypothesis
What are the changes in suicide trends by sex, age, and method in Taiwan from 1971 to 2005?
Conclusion
Suicide by means of charcoal-burning and jumping from heights has become a serious public health problem in Taiwan.
Supporting Evidence
- Both sexes experienced downward trends from 1971 to 1993, followed by an upward trend since 1993.
- People aged 65 years and above had the highest suicide rates throughout the study periods.
- Males aged 25–64 years experienced the steepest increasing trends.
- There was a marked increase in suicides by jumping from heights and poisoning with other gases since the 1990s.
Takeaway
More people in Taiwan are committing suicide by jumping from heights and using charcoal-burning, which is a big problem that needs to be fixed.
Methodology
Mortality data files for suicide and undetermined deaths from 1971 to 2005 were analyzed, calculating age-, sex-, and method-specific suicide rates.
Potential Biases
Potential underreporting of suicide rates due to misclassification of deaths.
Limitations
The study is descriptive and does not explore complex relationships among risk factors of suicide; underreporting of suicide statistics may also affect results.
Participant Demographics
Data included individuals aged 15 years and above in Taiwan.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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