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Suicide is an enormous health problem all over the world. Russian researchers have learned that our assumptions about the methods people will use to commit suicide are often incorrect.
In Russia, as is also the case in the United States, the highest rates of suicide occur among native peoples. In Russia, these are people who live like other Russian citizens, only in the far north. In the United States, the very highest rates of suicide occur among Native Americans living on reservations.
Applying the expectations of suicidal behavior that apply to majority populations usually does not apply to isolated minority populations. For instance, in Russia:
- Most suicides are committed on Mondays.
- The day after a holiday, for instance, the day after Christmas or a birthday, is chosen for suicide by many depressed people, especially men.
- Most suicides are committed in spring, when "love is in the air," but some people just can't find it.
- Suicides are usually committed by methods that don't hurt. In Latin America, a preponderance of suicides are committed by drinking pesticides. In Scandinavia and in the UK, suicide victims typically die from drug overdoses. In Russia, Eastern Europe, and Pakistan, the preferred method is hanging. In Hong Kong and Singapore, it is leaping from a tall building. In the United States, more suicides are committed with firearms, although this is something of an exception to the international norm.
Knowing when a suicide is more likely and the methods that are more likely to be used gives social workers and public safety officials a heads up on when and where they need to focus their attention.
However, among native peoples, the methods for and timing of suicide is likely to be quite different. For instance, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world, nearly 20 times higher than other parts of the country and other parts of the world. In this region of Russia bordering the Arctic Ocean:
- Most suicides are committed on Fridays, in anticipation of the weekend.
- Holidays had no effect on the propensity to commit suicide.
- The greatest rate of suicide occurs in April, when the sun is finally shining again.
- Most suicides were committed by methods that hurt, such as cutting.
The important message of the Russian study is that people may be too depressed to commit suicide most of the time, but when there is just enough improvement in their lives to remind them how bad their situation is, they find ways to kill themselves. An endless winter night is so depressing people can't even commit suicide, but the onset of summer sun gives them just enough energy to commit the deed. The boredom of work Monday through Friday is so ennervating that suicides do not occur, but suicide becomes what one does with one's weekend. Life is constantly unfulfilling, so even slashing one's wrists feels better than the never-ending tedium of daily existence.
With this knowledge, public health workers, suicide prevention workers, and other people who care can focus their efforts on the people who need them most at the times that they need them most.
Anyone whose entire life takes place in a kind of prison needs encouragement and levity. The people least like the majority most need help for depression.
- Sumarokov YA, Brenn T, Kudryavtsev AV, Nilssen O. Variations in suicide method and in suicide occurrence by season and day of the week in Russia and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Northwestern Russia: a retrospective population-based mortality study. BMC Psychiatry. 2015 Sep 23
- 15(1):224. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0601-z.
- Photo courtesy of Jared Keener: www.flickr.com/photos/jaredmayfire/9723708930
- Photo courtesy of Mandolin Davis: www.flickr.com/photos/mandolinn/222444629/
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