Suicide mortality gap between Francophones and Anglophones of Quebec, Canada

Few studies evaluate language-group differences in suicide mortality. This study assessed the suicide mortality gap between Francophones and Anglophones of Quebec, Canada according to age, sex, method, region and socioeconomic deprivation.

Suicide decedents were extracted from the Quebec death file for 1989-2007 (N = 24,465). Age- and sex-specific suicide mortality rates were calculated for four periods (1989-1993, 1994-1998, 1999-2003, 2004-2007) for Francophones and Anglophones aged ≥10 years. Age-standardized rates of suicide by method, region, and level of social and material deprivation were calculated for each sex. Rate ratios and rate differences were estimated.

Suicide rates for Francophones were two to three times higher than rates for Anglophones, and differences were greatest for adults aged 25-64 years. Francophone males had more than two times the rate of suicide by hanging or firearms than Anglophone males. Francophone females had twice the rate of hanging, poisoning or firearm suicide as Anglophone females, although precision was low. Francophone-Anglophone suicide mortality gaps were higher in urban areas despite lower suicide rates, and varied little across levels of social and material deprivation.

There was a large suicide mortality gap between Francophones and Anglophones of Quebec; especially, among adults aged 25-64 years.