Changing of suicide rates in China, 2002-2015

The overall suicide rate in China has dropped substantially since the 1990s, with patterns changing significantly. This study aims to further explore the latest changes in suicide rates in China.

Data on gender-age-specific suicide rates for rural and urban residents aged 15 years and above were retrieved from official records. Joinpoint regression analyses were applied to analyze time trends of suicide rates.

Overall, suicide rates in China dropped significantly from 2002 to 2015. However, the national suicide rates have decreased at a slower pace since 2006. Joinpoints on time trends of suicide rates were also observed among rural males, rural females and urban males in 2005, 2006 and 2008, respectively. Declines in suicide rates of a majority of groups aged 25-54 slowed around 2007, and even reversed among males aged 25-34 in both areas and rural males aged 45-54. Male suicide rates were increasingly higher than females' after 2006. Rural suicide rates were about twice those of urban groups in recent years.

Data on suicide is based on a large-sampled surveillance system, which may suffer from some quality flaws. Improvements in the quality of suicide rate data may lead to bias. Information on other potential differences in suicide rates over time is not available.

Although the suicide rate in China dropped significantly from 2002-2015, a slowdown in the decrease and even a reversing trend was observed in some certain groups, which highlights the urgent need for targeted suicide prevention programs.