Citation

Corcoran P. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 127.

Affiliation

National Suicide Research Foundation, Department of Research, 1 Perrott Avenue College Road, Cork, Ireland. paul.nsrf@iol.ie.

Copyright

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

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964095

Abstract

The ultimate goal or aspiration of national programmes for suicide prevention is to bring about a reduction in the number of suicide deaths. In this regard, some countries set targets for the reduction of suicide deaths at the launch of their national prevention programmes. European countries differ both in their recording practices and the cultural contexts in which they operate. Studies into the accuracy and reliability of suicide statistics have shown evidence of under-reporting and misclassification but on balance, findings supported the validity of comparisons internationally and over time. Data for more than 30 European countries were retrieved from the WHO's Mortality Database in order to examine the potential impact of misclassifying suicides as undetermined deaths and the robustness of their ranking and their national suicide trends. On average, adding undetermined deaths to suicide deaths gave rise to a 21% increase (median=18%, range=2-54%). Data are also presented relating specifically to Ireland, a country that has regularly had the reliability of its suicide statistics questioned and which has recently investigated its recording practices and launched a National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention.

Language: en