Citation

Jeng-Tung Chiang, An-Ting Jhuang, Shih-Cheng Liao, Ming-Been Lee. J. Suicidol. (Taipei) 2022; 17(1): 44-50.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Taiwanese Society of Suicidology, Publisher Airiti)

DOI

10.30126/JoS.202203_(1).0005

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There was a big change in suicide profile during 1958-2008. The study aimed to detect age, period, and cohort effects in Taiwan suicide mortality rates for both males and females from 1958-2008 before implementation of Taiwan National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

METHODS: Supplemented with graphical descriptive analysis, the intrinsic estimator (IE) method was used to estimate age, period, and cohort effects simultaneously.

RESULTS: The suicide trends for both genders were similar with respect to the three temporal variables: (1) the age effects generally displayed an increasing trend with age, (2) the trend for the period effects resembled a w-shape with peaks observed in 1959-63, 1979-83, and 2004-08, and (3) the cohort effects generally followed a downward trend, with younger cohorts less likely to complete suicide. However, among the three effects, the period seems to play a more important role in determining suicide risk for males, while age appeared to be the key factor for females.

CONCLUSION: In summary, age, period, and cohort all related to suicide risk for both genders. Our findings showed that the elderly aged above 65 had a higher risk of suicide. Young women aged 20-24 were also found to be a high-risk group. Special attention also needs to be paid to men particularly when the socio-economic situation worsens.

Language: en

Keywords

gender; suicide; mortality; age-period-cohort analysis