The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes: urban and gender disparity in age-specific suicide rates in a Taiwanese population
Journal
Public Health
Journal Volume
147
Pages
136
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Abstract
Objective The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes is an important issue worldwide today. The impact of urbanization and gender is controversial in suicide rates. Hence, this study adjusted on potential risk factors and secular changes for suicide rates in gender and rural/urban areas. Study design Observational study. Methods A Suicide Prevention Center was established by the Executive Yuan in Taiwan in 2005 and tried to carry out suicidal intervention in the community in every city and town. There were two phases, including the first phase of the programme from 2005 to 2008, and the second phase of the programme from 2009 to 2013. The crude suicide rates data from the period of 1991–2013, which recruited nine urban and 14 rural areas in Taiwan, were extracted from the Taiwanese national mortality data file. The suicide rates in two areas of Taiwan (Taipei city and Yilan County) were further used to compare the differences between urban and rural areas. Results The results show that unemployment increased the suicide rate in men aged 45–64 years and in women older than 65 years of age in Taiwan. High divorce and unemployment rates resulted in increased suicide rates in men in the city, whereas emotional distress was the main cause of suicides in men in rural areas. The main method of suicide was jumping from a high building for both sexes in the city, whereas drowning was the most common method of suicide for men in rural areas. Conclusion Following the intervention programme, suicide behaviour began to decrease in all urban and rural areas of Taiwan. This study showed the cumulative effect of the intervention programme in decreasing the suicide rate in Taiwan. Moreover, the gender-specific suicidal rate and disparity in suicidal methods in urban and rural areas should be considered in further preventive strategies in Taiwan. © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health
Other Subjects
gender disparity; mortality; rural area; suicide; unemployment; urban area; urbanization; adult; age; aged; Article; clinical effectiveness; control strategy; divorce; drowning; emotional stress; female; health program; human; intervention study; male; middle aged; mortality; observational study; prevalence; rural area; sex difference; sex ratio; social status; suicide; suicide prevention program; Taiwan; Taiwanese; unemployment; urban area; urban rural difference; young adult; adolescent; age distribution; epidemiology; evaluation study; program evaluation; risk factor; rural population; statistics and numerical data; suicide; urban population; Taipei; Taiwan; Yilan [Taiwan]; Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Program Evaluation; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Sex Distribution; Suicide; Taiwan; Urban Population; Young Adult
Type
journal article