Citation

Tsoneva-Pentcheva L. Mental Health Reforms 2000; 5(4): 16-18.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Bulgaria has experienced an increasing number of lost lives due to suicide, considered to be a major public health problem in the country. Suicide mortality ranks first among all deaths due to external causes and exceeds those from transportation accident - with the respective rates in 1999 being 15.94 and 12.95 per 100,000 population. Special attention has been given to adolescent and young population groups - in 1999, suicide mortality among 15-24 year olds being 12.10 (males) and 3.44 (females) per 100,000 population. Suicide attempts are estimated to be three to five times as high as completed suicides; the average age for suicides were shown in epidemiological studies as being 53 years for males and 58 years for females; attempted suicides had a mean age of 28 years for males and 29 years for females. This disputes the myth that suicide behavior is mostly an illness of the elderly.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; adult; Bulgaria; health education; health program; human; mortality; primary prevention; sex ratio; short survey; suicidal behavior; suicide; suicide attempt