Citation

Wong PW, Chan WS, Chen EY, Chan SS, Law YW, Yip PS. BMC Public Health 2008; 8(1): 147.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1471-2458-8-147

PMID

18447958

PMCID

PMC2412876

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A surge in suicide rates in middle age people in Hong Kong and many Asian countries was recently observed. However, there is a paucity of suicide research on this subgroup of people in Asia. METHODS: The next-of-kin of 85 suicide cases and 85 community subjects aged 30-49 years were interviewed by a psychological autopsy approach. Information was triangulated by interview notes, coroner's court files, and police investigation reports. RESULTS: A multiple logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors for suicide among the middle age people in Hong Kong: the presence of at least one psychiatric disorder (OR=37.5, 95% CI 11.5-121.9, p<0.001), indebtedness (OR= 9.4, 95% CI 2.2-40.8, p<0.01), unemployment (OR=4.8, 95% CI 1.3-17.5, p<0.05), never married (OR=4.2, 95% CI 1.1-16.3, p<0.05), and lived alone (OR=3.9, 95% CI 1.2-13.4, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The data show that socio-economical factors had a strong impact on suicide in the target group. Further research is needed to explore any positive qualities that protect the middle-aged from suicide. The prevention of suicide in the middle-aged requires multiple strategies.

Language: en