Original scientific paper

IS SUICIDE MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH METEOROLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS? AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY IN A CITY IN TAIWAN WITH A HIGH SUICIDE RATE

Ya-Wen Wu ; Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan
Chih-Ken Chen ; Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan; Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Liang-Jen Wang ; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Abstract

Background: Keelung City has the highest suicide rate in Taiwan. This study aimed to determine whether meteorological and
socio-economic factors are associated with suicide mortality in Keelung City, by gender and by means of suicide.
Subjects and methods: Data on suicides between January 2006 and December 2010 were provided by the Department of Health,
Keelung City Government. The suicide victims were categorized into non-violent and violent groups, based on the International
Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision. Meteorological data were obtained from the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan. Socioeconomic
data were gathered from the Accounting and Statistics Office, Keelung City Government. Multiple linear regression
analysis with backward elimination was performed to determine the model that was most effective in predicting dependent variables.
Results: During the 5-year study period, the overall suicide mortality rate was negatively associated with ambient temperature.
Male suicide mortality was positively correlated with unemployment, and negatively correlated with ambient temperature,
barometric pressure, rainy days, family income and number of holidays. Female suicide mortality and violent suicide mortality were
not significantly correlated with any meteorological or socio-economic factors. Non-violent suicide mortality was positively
correlated with unemployment, and negatively correlated with ambient temperature, barometric pressure and family income.
Conclusions: Suicide is a complex psychopathological phenomenon. Further studies with individual data are warranted to
confirm how meteorological and socio-economic conditions influence ones’ suicidal behaviour.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

162066

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162066

Publication date:

17.6.2014.

Visits: 936 *