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The relationship between suicide rates and age: an analysis of multinational data from the World Health Organization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2007

Ajit Shah
Ajit Shah*
Affiliation:
West London Mental Health NHS Trust and Imperial College School of Medicine, London, U.K.
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Ajit Shah, West London Mental Health NHS Trust, Uxbridge Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB1 3EU, U.K. Phone: +44 208 354 8140; Fax: +44 208 354 8898. Email ajit.shah@wlmht.nhs.uk.
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Abstract

Background: Suicide rates generally increase with age. With the emergence of studies from several countries without an increase in suicides rates with aging, a cross-national study examining the relationship between suicide rates and age was undertaken.

Methods: The relationship between suicide rates and age was examined by ascertaining suicide rates in both sexes in seven age-bands 16–24 years, 25–34 years, 35–44 years, 45–54 years, 55–64 years, 65–74 years and 75+ years, from the World Health Organization website for all the listed countries (N = 62).

Results: The main findings were: (i) there was a significant increase in suicide rates with increasing age in males and females in 25 and 27 countries respectively; (ii) there was no significant increase in suicide rates with increasing age in males and females in 31 and 29 countries respectively; (iii) suicide rates were the highest in the younger age-bands in countries without a significant increase in male suicides rates with increasing age; (iv) countries without a significant increase in the suicide rate with increasing age in both sexes, females only and males only demonstrated regional clustering; and, (v) in a small number of countries suicide rates declined with increasing age.

Conclusions: Potential explanations for regional and cross-national variations in the relationship between suicide rates and age require further study.

Keywords

suicidessuicide rateselderlycross-national
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , December 2007 , pp. 1141 - 1152
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2007

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