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[Reliability of Norwegian suicide statistics]
1Gades Institutt (rettsmedisin), Universitetet i Bergen.
Nordisk Medicin
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Changes in Norwegian suicide registration laws may explain the rise in suicide rates. Comparing international suicide rates is unreliable without understanding diagnostic criteria.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Public Health
Context:
- Recent legislative changes in Norway have altered suicide registration procedures.
- A new Death Certificate Form complicates the concealment of suicides by medical professionals.
Purpose:
- To investigate the impact of revised suicide registration laws on reported suicide rates in Norway.
- To highlight the challenges in comparing international suicide statistics due to varying diagnostic bases.
Summary:
- New laws and a revised Death Certificate Form in Norway have made suicide registration more rigorous.
- These procedural changes may account for a significant portion of the observed increase in the Norwegian suicide rate between the 1960s and 1980s.
Impact:
- The findings suggest that changes in data collection methods, rather than solely an increase in actual suicides, could explain historical trends in Norwegian suicide rates.
- Emphasizes the critical need for standardized diagnostic criteria and reporting procedures for accurate cross-national comparisons of suicide data.