Attempted suicide among immigrants in European countries: an international perspective.

PURPOSE: This study compares the frequencies of attempted suicide among immigrants and their hosts, between different immigrant groups, and between immigrants and their countries of origin. METHODS: The material, 27,048 persons, including 4,160 immigrants, was obtained from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour, the largest available European database, and was collected in a standardised manner from 11 European centres in 1989-2003. Person-based suicide-attempt rates (SARs) were calculated for each group. The larger immigrant groups were studied at each centre and compared across centres. Completed-suicide rates of their countries of origin were compared to the SARs of the immigrant groups using rank correlations. RESULTS: 27 of 56 immigrant groups studied showed significantly higher, and only four groups significantly lower SARs than their hosts. Immigrant groups tended to have similar rates across different centres. Moreover, positive correlation between the immigrant SAR and the country-of-origin suicide rate was found. However, Chileans, Iranians, Moroccans, and Turks displayed high SARs as immigrants despite low suicide rates in the home countries. CONCLUSIONS: The similarity of most immigrant groups' SARs across centres, and the correlation with suicidality in the countries of origin suggest a strong continuity that can be interpreted in either cultural or genetic terms. However, the generally higher rates among immigrants compared to host populations and the similarity of the rates of foreign-born and those immigrants who retained the citizenship of their country of origin point to difficulties in the acculturation and integration process. The positive correlation found between attempted and completed suicide rates suggests that the two are related, a fact with strong implications for suicide prevention.

Attitudes of medical students, general practitioners, teachers, and police officers toward suicide in a Turkish sample.

Since attitudes predict future behavior and are important in suicide prevention, we aimed to determine the attitudes of professional groups with potential importance in suicide and suicide prevention. A total sample of 205 medical students, general practitioners, secondary school guidance teachers, and police officers from Ankara completed the Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale (ATSS). Principal components analysis revealed a nine factor model for the scale. Participants from different professions held different attitudes toward suicide. Medical students and general practitioners had the most permissive attitudes. General practitioners' attitude scores about preparedness to prevent suicide were lower compared to other groups, which points out the importance of continuing medical education and implementation of suicide prevention programs in primary care.

Suicide attempts in Turkey: results of the WHO-EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rate and method of attempted suicides in a catchment area in Turkey as part of the WHO-EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour. METHOD: All hospitals in the catchment area were screened to identify suicide attempts for 4 years between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2001. RESULTS: In the 4-year period, 737 individuals attempted suicide (514 women and 223 men). The mean annual rate per 100,000 was 46.89 for men and 112.89 for women. The parasuicide rate increased by 93.59% between 1998 and 2001. The most frequent method used by both men and women was self-poisoning. CONCLUSION: Compared with the results from other European research centres, attempted suicide rates in Turkey were relatively low. However, the increase in rates was striking. This upward trend may be related to the intense economic difficulties, increasing unemployment, and rapid social change experienced in Turkey in recent years. The risk groups appeared to be younger and female.

Suicide and suicide attempts in Ankara in 1998: results of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study of Suicidal Behaviour.

BACKGROUND: The rates and associated basic demographic features of attempted and completed suicides in a catchment area in Turkey were investigated as part of the WHO/Euro Multicentre Study of Suicidal Behaviour. METHOD: All hospitals in the catchment area were screened in order to identify attempted suicides. Statistics for completed suicides were obtained from the State Institute of Statistics (SIS). RESULTS: The rates of attempted and completed suicides per 100,000 inhabitants over 15 years of age were 31.9 for males and 85.6 for females, and 9.9 for males and 5.6 for females, respectively. The majority of attempted suicides were in the 15-24-year-old age group, as is the case in all other European countries. The majority of completed suicides were also in the 15-24-year-old age group, although in other European centers most completed suicides occur in the 40+ age group. The most frequent methods were overdose for attempted suicide and hanging for completed suicide. The rates of both attempted and completed suicides were lower than those of other participating centers in Europe. CONCLUSION: Male sex is a risk factor for completed suicide and female sex is a risk factor for attempted suicide, while an age of 15-24 years may be a risk factor for both groups.