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Decreasing suicide mortality in Hungary – What are the main causes?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

Z. Rihmer ,
P. Dome ,
X. Gonda ,
Z. Bélteczki ,
A. Németh ,
S. Szilágyi  and
J. Balazs
Z. Rihmer*
Affiliation:
Semmelweis University, Department Of Psychiatry And Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary
P. Dome
Affiliation:
Semmelweis University, Department Of Psychiatry And Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary
X. Gonda
Affiliation:
Semmelweis University, Department Of Psychiatry And Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary
Z. Bélteczki
Affiliation:
Sántha Kálmán Psychiatric Hospital, I. Department, Nagykálló, Hungary
A. Németh
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Nyírő Gyula National Institute Of Psychiatry And Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
S. Szilágyi
Affiliation:
Peterfy Sándor Hospital, Department Of Crisis Intervention And Psychiatry, Budapest, Hungary
J. Balazs
Affiliation:
Eotvos Lorant University, Department Of Developmental And Clinical Child Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Depression and suicidal behaviour are major public health problems everywhere but particularly in Hungary where until 2000 the suicide rate was among the highest in the world.

Objectives

To analyse the possible causes of declining national suicide rate of Hungary.

Methods

Review of the scientific literature on Hungarian suicide scene published in the last 40 years.

Results

The peak of Hungarian national suicide rate was in 1985 (46/100.000) but due to a steady and continuous, year by year decline, in 2019 it was only 16/100.000, which represents a more than 65% decrease. Rate of unrecognised/untreated mood disorders, availability of health/psychiatric care, antidepressant and lithium prescription, unemployment, smoking and alcohol consumption as well as lithium and arsenic contents of drinking water were the most investigated possible determinants of suicide mortality of the country. More widespread and effective treatment of psychiatric/mood disorder patients, decreased rate of unemployment and smoking as well as the continuously improving living standards were the most important contributors to the great decline of the national suicide rate. However, in 2020 – the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – the national suicide rate rose by 16%, which was almost totally accounted for by the increase of suicides among males.

Conclusions

Suicidal behaviour is preventable in many cases, but as it is a complex, multicausal phenomenon, its prevention should involve several medical/psychiatric, psychosocial and community interventions.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Hungarysuicidemortality
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S124
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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