Geographic variations in suicide mortality, 1982-96

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Demography

Background:

• Previous analyses of suicide trends were published in Population Trends.
• This article presents an update to these analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update previous suicide analyses.
• To analyze suicide trends by age and sex for UK constituent countries.
• To present regional and local authority data for England and Wales.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of suicide data.
• Stratification by age and sex.
• Geographical analysis within the United Kingdom, specifically England and Wales.

Main Results:

• Substantial variations in suicide rates were found across the United Kingdom.
• Significant variations in suicide rates were observed within England and Wales by region and local authority.

Conclusions:

• Suicide trends exhibit considerable geographical disparities within the UK.
• Further investigation into regional and local factors influencing suicide rates is warranted.