The Spatial Pattern of Suicides in Europe

Abstract

Introduction

The regularity in suicide rates in Europe was one of the essential challenges facing social scholars at the end of XIX century.

Aims

The present study aims to assess the continuation of this phenomenon in XXI century.

Methods

To explore this phenomenon, suicide rates were obtained from WHO official publications for 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2012 across 41 European nations. In order to examine the regularity of spatial suicide pattern, the data sets were subjected to Spearman's rank order correlation analysis.

Results

The suicide rates rank order distribution between European nations in 1990 was associated with suicide rates in 2000, 2010 and 2012 (rs = .91, .81, and .80, respectively, P < .001). The national suicide death indices show the significant positive correlation over the studied period, what means the definite regularity of suicide mortality pattern and absence of essential changes or fluctuations between the regions. The highest indices have the countries situated on the Northern and Eastern part of the European continent (Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and Hungary). On the opposite pole are the nations settled the Mediterranean and British islands. Thus, the fixed gradient in suicide distribution with the growing to the north and northeast of European continent is visible. The same stable vector in suicide spatial distribution is duplicated on the vast territories on the east part of Europe.

Conclusions

The data presented support the idea that spatial regularity in suicide distribution in Europe is not generally connected with social and cultural changes occurred during the centuries.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.