Citation

Etzersdorfer E, Wancata J, Sonneck G. Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 1994; 106(3): 63-68.

Vernacular Title

Was konnen offizielle Daten uber Suizidversuche aussagen? (anhand von Zahlen fur

Affiliation

Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie, Wien.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8053206

Abstract

The numbers for suicide attempts in Vienna 1989 from the following sources are compared: Statistical Department of the City of Vienna, hospital system of the City of Vienna, Vienna ambulance service, and Vienna Crisis Intervention Center. There are striking differences in the numbers reported by these institutions. In the data of the Statistical Department for the time period 1983 to 1989 there is a drastic decline of 56.5%, men exceeding women for the first time in decades. These results are not in agreement with the clinical experience of the authors. It is therefore possible that the official statistics underestimate the number of suicide attempts in Vienna. It appears the official data are markedly influenced by changes in the methods of data collection. Therefore, official numbers do not seem to be reliable and cannot be used to compare changes in suicide attempt frequency in the long run either. Possible reasons for the uncertainty of official numbers on suicide attempts are discussed.

Language: de