The epidemiology of suicide death and associated factors, Ilam, Iran (2012 - 2016): A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: Today there is an increased risk of suicide among young people throughout the world. Objectives: Due to the high prevalence of suicide in Iran and its important psychological and social effects, the epidemiology of suicide death and its associated factors were evaluated in Ilam as a deprived area of Iran. Methods: A Longitudinal study was conducted in Ilam, Iran, during a five-year period from 2012 - 2016. The basic data were recorded through the registration centers of legal medicine and governmental medical centers in Ilam, Iran. The suicide death ratio was calculated based on the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 populations each year. Data analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS for Windows vesion 20.0 using descriptive and inferential statistics. A P value less than 0.05 was considered as significant level. Results: In total, there were 475 suicide deaths, with 41.1% being female and 58.9% male. The highest rate of suicide deaths is found in 2012 at 20 per 100,000. More than half of the suicide deaths occurred in individuals between the ages of 21 - 40. 78.9% of all suicide deaths occurred in individuals without an income and 21.1% in individuals with a personal income. A substantial number of all suicide deaths occurred in individuals without a personal income. Conclusions: Most likely, individuals who are financially dependent will experience lower self-esteem and a higher risk of mental disorders. All of these factors increased the risk of suicide.