According to a comprehensive analysis published in The Lancet Public Health, men are twice as likely to commit suicide as women, and their attempts are three times more lethal. This study is based on data collected by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington over three decades, from 1990 to 2021.
Globally, the suicide mortality rate has decreased by 40% over this period, from 15 to 9 deaths per 100,000 people, indicating that interventions and preventive measures are having an effect. In particular, among women, the reduction has been over 50%, while for men it has been 34%.
Despite this positive trend, there has been a 39% increase in suicides in Central Latin America, led by Mexico, with a 123% increase among women. On the other hand, in East Asia, a 66% reduction has been achieved, particularly in China, which stands out as the country with the largest decrease.
The highest suicide rates have been recorded in Eastern Europe, Southern Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Sub-Saharan Africa. Mohsen Naghavi, the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of combating the stigma associated with suicide and improving access to mental health services, especially for people with mental disorders and addictions.
It has been observed that individuals who have been victims of violence, sexual assault, and childhood trauma are at a higher risk of suicide. On average, about 740,000 people take their own lives each year worldwide, which corresponds to one every 43 seconds. The data also reveal that globally, men are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than women; however, the latter are 49% more likely to attempt it.
The study concludes with the need to develop more effective suicide prevention methods, tailored to the specifics of each region and population, involving communities in awareness-raising and intervention efforts.
