Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
So in your opinion, are global suicide rates rising, falling, steady, or don't know, over the last 30 years?
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Global Suicide Rates
- Thread starter Wandering Monk
- Start date
why would this be a matter of opinion?
I have no idea, and therefore no opinion. I need facts.
Just sayin', because I'm not really interested enough to go do the research on this topic. But those would be facts, not opinions.
I have no idea, and therefore no opinion. I need facts.
Just sayin', because I'm not really interested enough to go do the research on this topic. But those would be facts, not opinions.
Heyo
Veteran Member
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
Remember, this is over the period of the last 30 years. The trend will be a long term one.
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
Because perception and reality are often much different.
This is a function of the 'availability heuristic.'
The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision. The availability heuristic operates on the notion that if something can be recalled, it must be important, or at least more important than alternative solutions which are not as readily recalled.[1] Subsequently, under the availability heuristic, people tend to heavily weigh their judgments toward more recent information, making new opinions biased toward that latest news.[2][3]
Availability heuristic - Wikipedia
Availability heuristic - Wikipedia
okay...they my perception is that I have no basis for having ANY opinion about global suicide rates over the last 30 years...I look forward to hearing what the facts are...and of course, what the sources are for those facts...I may have an opinion about some such sources...
They were the highest they have ever been in my country last year.
Suicide rates rise to highest-ever level
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
The question was about GLOBAL rates. Don't derail.
epronovost
Well-Known Member
I'll cut this opinion chase short. This isn't an opinion question. It's a fact question anybody interested in opinions would research the facts first. There are no global data for suicide rates that covers the last 30 years for not every country keeps track of suicide rates. In the Western world, where suicides were quantified and studied, they have risen steadily from the 90's to the early 2000's before starting to fall back from the mid 2000's and onward. A few country did buck the trend most notably Belgium which legalised assisted suicide as a main driver, the US where opoid epidemics drived them up, Poland, Norway and Switzerland have also seen a slight increase.
If you’re unable or unwilling to seriously engage with the OP topic you have started, no problem.
The question can not be properly answered as it relies on consistent data being recorded in every country over the last 30 years. That clearly has not, nor can not happen even these days.
As the WHO rightly highlighted:
In much of the world, suicide is stigmatized and condemned for religious or cultural reasons. In some countries, suicidal behaviour is a criminal offence punishable by law. Suicide is therefore often a secretive act surrounded by taboo, and may be unrecognized, misclassified or deliberately hidden in official records of death.[3]
— World Health Organization (2002)
List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia
The next step is to look at individual countries where data collection is reliable and consistent.
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
There are scores of nations and regions that comprise the global aggregate. Only a few are shown here. You can select any you want to look at here. Add them all in. You will see some that are increasing the rate, others decreasing. The global aggregate is downward.
This graph also allows you to select the world. The chart also give you the option of seeing the sources:
Suicide
This graph also allows you to select the world. The chart also give you the option of seeing the sources:
Suicide
From your link:
Data quality
Data on suicides is deficient for two important reasons. Firstly, there is a problem with the frequency and reliability of vital registration data in many countries – an issue undermining the quality of mortality estimates in general, not just suicide. The WHO reports that, of its 172 Member States for which suicide estimates are published, only 60 have good-quality vital registration data that can be used directly to estimate suicide rates. The estimated suicide rates in the other 112 Member States (which account for about 71% of global suicides) are based on modelling assumptions. The following visualization, from the WHO, shows the distribution of mortality data quality around the world. As might be expected, good quality vital registration systems are more likely available in high-income countries.
Secondly, there are problems with the accuracy of the official figures made available to WHO by its Member States, since suicide registration is a complicated process involving several responsible authorities with medical and legal concerns. In spite of the fact that in the International Classification of Diseases the category name and code of suicide has remained relatively stable, it is widely accepted that suicide as a cause of death is hidden and underreported for different reasons, notably social and religious attitudes. Moreover, the illegality of suicidal behaviour in some countries contributes to under-reporting and misclassification. According to the WHO, suicides are most commonly found misclassified as “deaths of undetermined intent” and “accidents”.
Quality of Suicide Mortality Data – Map 2 in WHO (2014)35
Data quality
Data on suicides is deficient for two important reasons. Firstly, there is a problem with the frequency and reliability of vital registration data in many countries – an issue undermining the quality of mortality estimates in general, not just suicide. The WHO reports that, of its 172 Member States for which suicide estimates are published, only 60 have good-quality vital registration data that can be used directly to estimate suicide rates. The estimated suicide rates in the other 112 Member States (which account for about 71% of global suicides) are based on modelling assumptions. The following visualization, from the WHO, shows the distribution of mortality data quality around the world. As might be expected, good quality vital registration systems are more likely available in high-income countries.
Secondly, there are problems with the accuracy of the official figures made available to WHO by its Member States, since suicide registration is a complicated process involving several responsible authorities with medical and legal concerns. In spite of the fact that in the International Classification of Diseases the category name and code of suicide has remained relatively stable, it is widely accepted that suicide as a cause of death is hidden and underreported for different reasons, notably social and religious attitudes. Moreover, the illegality of suicidal behaviour in some countries contributes to under-reporting and misclassification. According to the WHO, suicides are most commonly found misclassified as “deaths of undetermined intent” and “accidents”.
Quality of Suicide Mortality Data – Map 2 in WHO (2014)35
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
Well, take it up with WHO then.
The World Health Organization compiles and disseminates data on mortality and morbidity reported by its Member States, according to one of its mandates. This is the main source of cross-country data on suicide rates.
World Health Organization
World Health Organization
- Data: Total deaths by suicide and suicide rates per 100,000 people overall and by age group and sex
- Geographical coverage: 198 countries
- Time span: 1950 onwards
- Available at: The WHO publishes data here. The same data are also made available via Gapminder.org
- Data: Death rates & absolute number of deaths from suicide
- Geographical coverage:Global, across all regions and countries
- Time span: 1990 onwards
- Available at: Online here
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
Maybe this thread should be titled "Suicide rates in nations with reliable information."
I have no issue with the WHO. They are clear and open about the limitations of their data and the problems when it comes to estimating suicide rates. Specifically they say:
The WHO reports that, of its 172 Member States for which suicide estimates are published, only 60 have good-quality vital registration data that can be used directly to estimate suicide rates.
So it doesn't use all 195 of the countries affiliated countries to the UN begin with (193 members and 2 with observer status).
How many countries are there in the world? (2020) - Total & List | Worldometer
So we only have good quality data from 31% of UN countries.
FWIW I answered "I don't know" to your poll.
Wandering Monk
Well-Known Member
The WHO has crude suicide rates between 2000 and 2016 here:
GHO | World Health Statistics data visualizations dashboard | Data tables - Region data
Over that period, the suicide rate per 100,000 (both sexes) has declined from 12.9 to 10.6. They have also declined in each of the regions listed:
GHO | World Health Statistics data visualizations dashboard | Data tables - Region data
Over that period, the suicide rate per 100,000 (both sexes) has declined from 12.9 to 10.6. They have also declined in each of the regions listed:
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I'm not aware of any accurate figure on global rates.
Do you have a reliable source? That keeps accurate track of the suicide rate in China, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Mongolia, Togo, Bangla Desh, all the rest?
If you have, I'd be interested to see what it says.
If you don't, what are we actually talking about?
Heyo
Veteran Member
What people think those numbers are.
In polls like this you often get opinions that aren't based on any facts but they give a look into the mindset of the people. From the answers to this poll I conclude that the polled value facts and aren't afraid to admit their ignorance (something rare in the general population) - though they lack reading comprehension.