| Suicide Prevention |
A-1-1 - Slides as pdf
First name: ARTURAS
Family name: RAZBADAUSKAS
Title of Abstract: Suicide mortality trends in young people and prevention in Lithuania, the Baltic country
Abstract
In 2006 the intentional self-harm was the second cause of the external causes of deaths in the age group 15 to 19 years in Lithuania (suicide mortality rate -16.23 per 100, 000 population).
The objectives of the study was to analyze the changing picture of intentional self-harm deaths over 1990-2006 in young people aged 15 to 19 years in Lithuania.
Materials and methods
The data were obtained from the Statistics Lithuania and Health Information Centre. The suicide deaths data for young people aged 15 -19 years were investigated. Mortality rate trends were estimated using polynomial regression.
Results
Over 1992-2006, 824 adolescents aged 15 -19 years died due to suicide deaths: 652 boys and 172 girls. The study results showed increasing tendencies in suicide mortality in young people and in whole population after Lithuania's independence in 1991, and also some temporal peaking levels in early 2000 (before Lithuania's joining the European Union). Intensive suicide prevention movement was observed in the country while the preparations to the joining European Union were processed and after joining EU. Different suicide prevention, health and safety promotion programmes were introduced by the municipalities, health centres, and non-governmental organizations, together with the preventive programmes on the national level.
Conclusions
1. In Lithuania suicide mortality rate in young people aged 15 -19 years was increasing from early 1990s, then the stabilisation around 2000s was estimated, and after 2002-2004 the permanent significant decreasing tendencies were observed.
2. In the 15-19 years boys group there were observed the same significant decreasing trends as for whole population, but for 15-19 girls group no significant change was estimated.
3. Political, socioeconomical changes along with increased alcohol consumption lead to increasing of suicides in transition period, and later socioeconomical stability together with intensive prevention activities impacted on consistent decrease of suicide mortality rate.
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