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The surprising change in global suicide rates: Why did they drop by 45,000 from 2000 to 2021?
According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other reliable sources, the global suicide rate has dropped significantly over the past two decades, from 762,000 in 2000 to 717,000 in 2021, a decrease of 9.1 per 100,000 The mortality rate of the population. This change has caused widespread concern, especially in many countries where suicide-related data are often underestimated due to social stigma and cultural and legal issues. This situation makes it impossible to directly compare suicide rates between different administrative regions, and actual suicide rates remain uncertain in most countries.
In high-income countries, there are significant differences in rates of suicidal behavior among men and women. While women are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, the actual rate of suicide is higher among men, which is considered a "silent epidemic."
The report shows that the global suicide mortality rate for men in 2021 reached 12.3 per 100,000 people, while for women it was 5.9. There is a clear inequality in the ratio of men to women. The magnitude of this gender gap also varies across regions. For example, in Southeast Asia, the ratio is only 1.4, while in the Americas it is closer to 4.0.
The world faces a social stigma around suicide, especially in certain cultures and religions where the act is condemned. In some countries, suicide is even considered a crime and is punishable by law, so the act is often concealed, misclassified, or deliberately hidden from official cause-of-death records, and it is possible that suicide rates are actually higher than official figures.
Suicide prevention and intervention is a major global issue. WHO has emphasized this and believes that people in all countries need to pay attention. Overall, 73% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.
The link between mental health and suicide is widely recognized. However, many suicides are impulsive and often triggered by a current crisis. In the face of discrimination against groups, such as refugees, indigenous people and LGBT groups, the suicide rate remains high. Social taboos and a lack of high-quality suicide data are barriers to advancing suicide prevention.
Changes in suicide rates across countries
Suicide rates vary significantly between countries and in all regions of the world. In a 2016 study, Canada's overall suicide rate was low at 10.3 per 100,000 people, but when Aboriginal people were surveyed, the number rose to 24.3 per 100,000 people, showing significant social and economic disparities.
Globally, approximately three-quarters of men commit suicide, or a ratio of 3:1. For example, in the United States, the male suicide rate was 3.36 in 2015 and 3.53 in 2016.
While age standardization is a common statistical process used to compare death data, the WHO's method is based on estimates and takes into account issues such as under-reporting, resulting in data that are higher than those derived from official statistics in individual countries. different. As time goes by, the data will be subject to periodic revisions.
When analyzing global suicide trends, it is important to note that differences in age structures in different regions may affect the interpretation of mortality rates. Areas with more young people have a considerable impact on mortality, meaning some areas have lower median ages.
What factors have we overlooked in this relative reduction in suicide rates? Although the data shows that the suicide rate is declining, are there hidden changes in social culture or even policy behind it?
Strategies to prevent and treat suicide, such as limiting access to suicide methods, responsible media reporting, and psychological assessment and treatment of people at high risk of suicide, have all been mentioned as important measures by the WHO. Although the implementation of suicide prevention policies faces many challenges, the handling of this issue will affect the lives of countless people in the future.
After we see these data and the efforts behind them, how many areas are there that we have not paid attention to and need improvement?
