Citation

Voitcekh V. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 29.

Affiliation

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, Moscow, Poteshnaya, 3, 107076 Moscow, Russia. (Voitcekh@mtu-net.ru)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963877

Abstract

Russia became a sort of a practice ground where the verity of E. Durkheims; theory was tested. Complex political, social and economical shocks that took place in our country have influenced the suicide rate greatly. The increasing suicide rate during the period of the economical stagnation and the decrease in social and political activity of the people was replaced by the reduction of suicides 1,5 times during the Perestroyka period and the anti-alcohol reform. Certainly, lower alcohol consumption influenced this overall decrease in suicide rate though the frequency of alcohol poisoning increased during that period. The suicide rate among men decreased 1,6 times, among women 1,2 times. The acute change of political, economic and social course, impoverishment of population, disintegration of society in 1994 lead to the acute increase of suicide rate. It was increased 1,79 times compared with 1986 year and 1,57 times compared with 1990. Among men this increase was 1,94 times, women - 1,9 times compared with 1986, and compared with 1990 year - men 1,7 times, women 1,2 times. Next peak of suicide activity took place after default in August 1998. If we compare the suicide rate in 1998 and 1999, it increased 1,2 times, and 1,3 times in some regions of Russia in 1999. Analysis of suicide rate in Moscow after default breakdown showed that the number of suicide attempts increased 3 times. In comparison with average European rates, the peak of suicides in Russia falls on the age of 45-54 y.o, the suicide rate among men is 106,7, women 13,9 per 100 thousands of population. According to the data of suicide monitoring in Moscow the number of suicide attempts among adolescent men is 3,65 times more than suicides, and among women the number of suicide attempts is 6,99 more than suicides. In the age group of 35-44 y.o. this ratio among men is 1,83 and 3,14 among women. The most disadvantageous are the regions of Siberia and Far East. We can speak about the increasing suicide rate from South to North and from West to East. It is significant that the number of murders increased along with the suicides. The murder rate in 1994 comparing with 1990 increased 2,33 times, then this rate decreased and after default in 1998 the murder rate 1,14 times increased. Most researchers tend to explain the suicide increase by the alcoholization of the population. Our research shows that this problem is not as simple as it seemed to be. In most of the cases alcohol is a trigger and to evaluate its role one should take into account the dynamics and structure of alcohol consumption.

Language: en