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Suicide deaths and suicide attempts
Stéphanie Langlois1, Peter Morrison
1Small Business and Special Surveys Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OT6. stephanie.langlois@statcan.ca
Health Reports
|May 15, 2003
Summary
Canadian suicide rates remained stable from 1979-1998. While males had higher suicide death rates, females were more frequently hospitalized for suicide attempts, with some repeat hospitalizations occurring.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Demography
Background:
- Suicide remains a significant public health concern in Canada.
- Understanding trends in suicide deaths and attempts is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in suicide deaths among Canadians aged 10 and older from 1979 to 1998.
- To examine hospital records for suicide attempts in 1998/99 to provide insights into this behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Vital Statistics Database, Hospital Morbidity Database, and Person-oriented Information Database.
- Calculated age-standardized rates for suicide deaths and hospitalized suicide attempts by sex and province/territory.
- Computed age- and sex-specific rates for suicide deaths and parasuicide-related hospitalizations across seven age groups.
Main Results:
- Suicide death rates in Canada showed relative stability between 1979 and 1998.
- Male suicide death rates were four times higher than female rates.
- Females were hospitalized for suicide attempts at 1.5 times the rate of males, with approximately 9% of those hospitalized for attempts having multiple admissions in 1998/99.
Conclusions:
- While suicide death rates remained stable, significant sex-based differences exist in both suicide deaths and attempts.
- The higher hospitalization rates for suicide attempts among females warrant further investigation into underlying factors.
- Repeat hospitalizations for suicide attempts highlight the need for comprehensive and sustained mental health support.