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Relation between attempted suicide and suicide rates among young people in Europe.
  1. K Hawton,
  2. E Arensman,
  3. D Wasserman,
  4. A Hultén,
  5. U Bille-Brahe,
  6. T Bjerke,
  7. P Crepet,
  8. E Deisenhammer,
  9. A Kerkhof,
  10. D De Leo,
  11. K Michel,
  12. A Ostamo,
  13. A Philippe,
  14. I Querejeta,
  15. E Salander-Renberg,
  16. A Schmidtke,
  17. B Temesváry
  1. University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.

    Abstract

    STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if there are associations between rates of suicide and attempted suicide in 15-24 year olds in different countries in Europe. DESIGN: Attempted suicide rates were based on data collected in centres in Europe between 1989 and 1992 as part of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study of Parasuicide. Comparison was made with both national suicide rates and local suicide rates for the areas in which the attempted suicide monitoring centres are based. SETTING: 15 centres in 13 European countries. PATIENTS: Young people aged 15-24 years who had taken overdoses or deliberately injured themselves and been identified in health care facilities. MAIN RESULTS: There were positive correlations (Spearman rank order) between rates of attempted suicide and suicide rates in both sexes. The correlations only reached statistical significance for male subjects: regional suicide rates, r = 0.65, p < 0.02; national suicide rates, r = 0.55, p < 0.02. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of attempted suicide and suicide in the young covary. The recent increase in attempted suicide rates in young male subjects in several European countries could herald a further increase in suicide rates.

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