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Article: Suicide epidemics: The impact of newly emerging methods on overall suicide rates - A time trends study

TitleSuicide epidemics: The impact of newly emerging methods on overall suicide rates - A time trends study
Authors
Issue Date2011
PublisherBioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/
Citation
Bmc Public Health, 2011, v. 11 How to Cite?
AbstractBackground: The impact of newly emerging, popular suicide methods on overall rates of suicide has not previously been investigated systematically. Understanding these effects may have important implications for public health surveillance. We examine the emergence of three novel methods of suicide by gassing in the 20 th and 21 st centuries and determine the impact of emerging methods on overall suicide rates. Methods. We studied the epidemic rises in domestic coal gas (1919-1935, England and Wales), motor vehicle exhaust gas (1975-1992, England and Wales) and barbecue charcoal gas (1999-2006, Taiwan) suicide using Poisson and joinpoint regression models. Joinpoint regression uses contiguous linear segments and join points (points at which trends change) to describe trends in incidence. Results: Epidemic increases in the use of new methods of suicide were generally associated with rises in overall suicide rates of between 23% and 71%. The recent epidemic of barbecue charcoal suicides in Taiwan was associated with the largest rise in overall rates (40-50% annual rise), whereas the smallest rise was seen for car exhaust gassing in England and Wales (7% annual rise). Joinpoint analyses were only feasible for car exhaust and charcoal burning suicides; these suggested an impact of the emergence of car exhaust suicides on overall suicide rates in both sexes in England and Wales. However there was no statistical evidence of a change in the already increasing overall suicide trends when charcoal burning suicides emerged in Taiwan, possibly due to the concurrent economic recession. Conclusions: Rapid rises in the use of new sources of gas for suicide were generally associated with increases in overall suicide rates. Suicide prevention strategies should include strengthening local and national surveillance for early detection of novel suicide methods and implementation of effective media guidelines and other appropriate interventions to limit the spread of new methods. © 2011 Thomas et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/145490
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 3.5
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.253
PubMed Central ID
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorThomas, Ken_HK
dc.contributor.authorChang, SSen_HK
dc.contributor.authorGunnell, Den_HK
dc.date.accessioned2012-02-23T12:11:44Z-
dc.date.available2012-02-23T12:11:44Z-
dc.date.issued2011en_HK
dc.identifier.citationBmc Public Health, 2011, v. 11en_HK
dc.identifier.issn1471-2458en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/145490-
dc.description.abstractBackground: The impact of newly emerging, popular suicide methods on overall rates of suicide has not previously been investigated systematically. Understanding these effects may have important implications for public health surveillance. We examine the emergence of three novel methods of suicide by gassing in the 20 th and 21 st centuries and determine the impact of emerging methods on overall suicide rates. Methods. We studied the epidemic rises in domestic coal gas (1919-1935, England and Wales), motor vehicle exhaust gas (1975-1992, England and Wales) and barbecue charcoal gas (1999-2006, Taiwan) suicide using Poisson and joinpoint regression models. Joinpoint regression uses contiguous linear segments and join points (points at which trends change) to describe trends in incidence. Results: Epidemic increases in the use of new methods of suicide were generally associated with rises in overall suicide rates of between 23% and 71%. The recent epidemic of barbecue charcoal suicides in Taiwan was associated with the largest rise in overall rates (40-50% annual rise), whereas the smallest rise was seen for car exhaust gassing in England and Wales (7% annual rise). Joinpoint analyses were only feasible for car exhaust and charcoal burning suicides; these suggested an impact of the emergence of car exhaust suicides on overall suicide rates in both sexes in England and Wales. However there was no statistical evidence of a change in the already increasing overall suicide trends when charcoal burning suicides emerged in Taiwan, possibly due to the concurrent economic recession. Conclusions: Rapid rises in the use of new sources of gas for suicide were generally associated with increases in overall suicide rates. Suicide prevention strategies should include strengthening local and national surveillance for early detection of novel suicide methods and implementation of effective media guidelines and other appropriate interventions to limit the spread of new methods. © 2011 Thomas et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.en_HK
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/en_HK
dc.relation.ispartofBMC Public Healthen_HK
dc.titleSuicide epidemics: The impact of newly emerging methods on overall suicide rates - A time trends studyen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.emailChang, SS: sschang@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityChang, SS=rp01582en_HK
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_versionen_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/1471-2458-11-314en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid21569569-
dc.identifier.pmcidPMC3112128-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-79955814421en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-79955814421&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume11en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000291550900001-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridThomas, K=36661350300en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChang, SS=35232386600en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridGunnell, D=7006194937en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike11258602-
dc.identifier.issnl1471-2458-

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