Trends and Methods of Suicide in Italy, 1979 to 2016

Abstract

The epidemiology of suicide could provide interesting data for societies that are undergoing significant demographic transformations. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the scale of and trends in suicide in Italy during the period 1979 to 2016. The secondary aim was to compare rates and methods of suicide in the elderly with those in other age groups. This was a population-based study on suicide for the period 1979 to 2016. Data on suicide regarding gender and age from the Italian Institute of Statistics and the World Health Organization were examined with linear regression and ANOVA test. The data on the elderly were compared with those for other age groups. Linear regression revealed a significant decline in the overall suicide rate ( F = 180.6; p < .0001). The 45 to 54 age group accounted for the highest suicide rate in recent years (2003–2016). The second highest incidence was among the elderly, with the “young” elderly (65–75 years old) having the highest suicide rate in this group. The male-to-female suicide ratio increased proportionally with age. Hanging was the suicide method most frequently employed independently from age groups. Universal and selective preventive strategies could be developed on the basis of the results of this study. The sensitization of health professionals, families, and friends to specific circumstances could contribute to the decline in the incidence of suicide in specific circumstances of time and place. Further studies are needed in order to better understand social and clinical risk factors related to the risk of suicide in specific age groups.