Since 1990 global suicide rate decreased by 30 % – but not in the US

Over the past few decades, suicide rates have declined significantly worldwide. Nevertheless, some countries, including the United States, are rising along the lines of anti -trends, which aims to cut the world the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 target third.

According to an analysis by Jesing Kong and his colleagues at the University of South Korea, between 1990 and 2021, the global suicide rate decreased by about 30 %, of which about 10,000 people out of 100,000 people have died of seven deaths. He collected data related to suicide deaths from 102 countries using the WHO’s death database.

“Many countries are more and more recognized that suicide is worth avoiding suicide,” says Paul Nestadtt at John Hopkins University in Maryland. Similarly, most of them implemented policies to reduce suicides, such as banning access to pesticides, firearms or some medicines – and it seems that these policies have been successful.

Apart from the United States, suicide rates have decreased in every continent, where rates have increased by more than 11 % since 2000. Suicide increased suicide in several countries, including Mexico, Paraguay and the United States. Between 2000 and 2020, the suicide rate in the United States increased from about 9.6 deaths to 100,000 people. Researchers believe that this is due to the increase in firearms suicide and mental health of the 2008 financial crisis.

Meanwhile, suicide rates in Asia and Europe declined permanently, and around 2010, around 2015, fell before coming to Ocean and Africa. However, the rates in Europe have been decreasing for decades, with the highest suicide rate in the region in 2021 in 100,000 people in the Nine nine deaths. And in Africa, three deaths were the lowest in every 100,000.

This is probably due to differences in collecting data. For example, many European countries have a strong system for the arrest and reporting of suicide deaths, which helps to inform the public health policy. “But that also means that they are going to show much rates than parts of African countries or parts of Asia, where maximum resources are not dedicated to occupation. [suicides]”Says Nestadt.

The suicide rate was also significantly higher than in lower -income countries than in lower and middle -income countries, which could be under the supervision system. Cultural differences can also play a role, provided that some countries defame suicide than others. Nestadt says that means that some suicides cannot be recorded like this.

In previous studies, global suicide rates have decreased similarly, yet this is the first analysis that includes data from the early years of the Coid 19 pandemic diseases. Many health experts have expressed concern that suicide will jump during pandemic illnesses because more and more people suffer from unemployment, loneliness and loss of loved ones. “Basically, it was a great storm for suicide,” Nestadt says. And what ended, suicidal rates were actually reduced. “The global suicide rate decreased by 1.5 percent every year between 2010 and 2019. But during the epidemic, it decreased by about 1.7 percent.

“We don’t always see – to see the decline in suicide with national tragedies or the catastrophic destruction of the major world,” says Nestadt. “It’s okay to be okay. It is okay. It is expected that it will not be fine.” Many governments also provide support during the crisis, such as crisis lines, mental health care and access to financial support. He says, “So, from a suicide point of view, it was a success in many ways how we handled the pandemic disease.”

If current trends are underway, researchers estimate that the global suicide rate will fall further by 2050, which will be less than 6.5 deaths in every 100,000 people.

“These are not indispensable deaths,” says Nestadt. Many, many, many of them are stopped. ” “When we see that there are places that have done something right, which rescues life, it is encouraging.”

Listening ear needs? UK Samaritans: 116123 (Samaritans Dot Org); American suicide and crisis lifeline: 988 (988lifline.org). Visit Bit.ly/suidehelPlines for services in other countries.