Suicide mortality in Spain (2010-2022): temporal trends, spatial patterns, and risk factors

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Sociology

Background:

• Suicide is a global public health issue, causing over 700,000 deaths annually.
• Spain shows increasing female suicide mortality, contrasting with stable male rates.
• Understanding spatial and temporal suicide patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine age-stratified suicide mortality patterns in Spain from 2010-2022.
• To investigate sex-specific differences in suicide mortality.
• To identify socioeconomic and contextual determinants of suicide.

Main Methods:

• Mixed Poisson models were used for provincial and temporal analysis.
• Analysis was stratified by age and sex.
• Models controlled for spatial and temporal confounding effects, including rurality and unemployment.

Main Results:

• Rurality significantly increased male suicide mortality (10% rurality increase -> >5% male mortality rise).
• Unemployment significantly increased female suicide mortality (1% unemployment increase -> 2.4% female mortality rise).
• Female suicide mortality shows a consistent upward trend, while male rates remain higher.

Conclusions:

• Sophisticated statistical models reveal geographic and temporal disparities in Spanish suicide mortality.
• Rurality and unemployment are key factors influencing sex-specific suicide patterns.
• The findings underscore the need for tailored public health strategies to address rising female suicide rates.