Suicides in Trinidad and Tobago: associations with unemployment, crime and emigration

ABSTRACT

Death by suicide is an important public problem and efforts to identify its causes are needed so as to facilitate its prevention. Although mental illness is an established risk factor, the role of socioeconomic factors has not been explored. We, therefore, conducted an investigation to determine whether suicides in Trinidad and Tobago are related to social distress. Using national statistics for the period 1978 - 1992, associations were examined between suicide rates and unemployed, serious crimes and emigration rates. Over the 15-year period examined, there was a 319 per cent increase in male suicide rates, from 4.96/100,000 in 1978 to 20.76/100,000 in 1992. The rate in females was fairly constant remaining below 8/100,000 throughout the period. Over the same period there was a 51 per cent increase in serious crime, an 89 per cent increase in male unemployment and a 33 per cent increase in female unemployment. However, there was a fall in the rate of permanent emigration. Male, female and total suicide rates were significantly associated with serious crimes and unemployment (male, female and total). However, there was no association with emigration. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that female unemployment was an independent predictor of male suicides while crime was an independent predictor of female suicides. Because of the design, the present study could not determine whether the observed associations were causal. However, the results suggest that at least some suicides in Trinidad and Tobago, during the period examined, may have been due to social distress. Programmes to ease this distress should have a positive effect on the suicide rate (AU)