Trends in Suicide Mortality in Taiwan, 1959-2006
Resource
Taiwan Journal of Public Health 27 (2): 110-120
Journal
中華心理學刊
Pages
110-120
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Wu, Ruo-Ning
Cheng, Ya-Wen
Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to examine long-term trends in suicide mortality in Taiwan from 1959 to 2006 and to analyze the effects of age, time period, and cohort. Methods: Suicide mortality was calculated using official vital statistics data. The effects of age, time period, and cohort on suicide mortality were examined graphically and with Poisson regression models. Results: An ubiquitous period effect on suicide mortality in both genders across all age groups was observed, with peak rates in the early 1960s and early 1980s and an upward trend since the mid-1990s. Suicide mortality increased with age, and evidence for an age-by-period interaction was found. Over the past decade, the sharpest increase in suicide mortality was found in middle-aged men. Evidence of cohort effects was less clear, and suicide risk of different cohorts appeared to be associated with period-and age-specific social environmental conditions. Conclusions: The changing patterns of suicide mortality highlight the importance of period-and age-specific social conditions in determining a population's risk of suicide. Further research is needed to explore the factors involved in such changes.
SDGs
Type
journal article
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
09.pdf
Size
798.17 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):f76b11c3c3a0fa71432ff8352a6fea00