Regional Deprivation and Suicide—an Ecological Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Regional Deprivation and Suicide—an Ecological Study

AU - Belau, Matthias Hans

PY - 2024/7/12

Y1 - 2024/7/12

N2 - BACKGROUND: Regional deprivation due to regional economic and social differences can increase the risk of suicide. This study investigated whether regional structural deprivation in Germany is associated with a higher rate of suicide.METHODS: Data from cause-of-death statistics for the years 2015-2021 were analyzed. A regression analysis for data with a negative binomial distribution was used to study the association between suicide mortality and the German Index of Multiple Deprivation (GIMD), which is based on data from 2015 and includes 401 districts and independent cities in Germany.RESULTS: Among the districts and independent cities covered by the GIMD, the quintile with the highest deprivation had higher suicide rates than the quintile with the lowest deprivation (relative risk [RR]: 1.85; 95% confidence interval [1.72; 2.00]). A sensitivity analysis revealed similar associations when the analysis was restricted to men (RR = 1.99 [1.80; 2.18]) or women (RR = 1.69 [1.49; 1.92]). A stronger association, however, was found in a comparison of rural (RR = 2.29 [2.04; 2.57]) with urban areas (RR = 1.51 [1.36; 1.68]).CONCLUSION: These findings document an association between regional deprivation and suicide. They highlight the need for a more targeted approach to suicide prevention in deprived regions. At the same time, more research is needed into the mechanisms and effects of regional deprivation on mortality due to suicide.

AB - BACKGROUND: Regional deprivation due to regional economic and social differences can increase the risk of suicide. This study investigated whether regional structural deprivation in Germany is associated with a higher rate of suicide.METHODS: Data from cause-of-death statistics for the years 2015-2021 were analyzed. A regression analysis for data with a negative binomial distribution was used to study the association between suicide mortality and the German Index of Multiple Deprivation (GIMD), which is based on data from 2015 and includes 401 districts and independent cities in Germany.RESULTS: Among the districts and independent cities covered by the GIMD, the quintile with the highest deprivation had higher suicide rates than the quintile with the lowest deprivation (relative risk [RR]: 1.85; 95% confidence interval [1.72; 2.00]). A sensitivity analysis revealed similar associations when the analysis was restricted to men (RR = 1.99 [1.80; 2.18]) or women (RR = 1.69 [1.49; 1.92]). A stronger association, however, was found in a comparison of rural (RR = 2.29 [2.04; 2.57]) with urban areas (RR = 1.51 [1.36; 1.68]).CONCLUSION: These findings document an association between regional deprivation and suicide. They highlight the need for a more targeted approach to suicide prevention in deprived regions. At the same time, more research is needed into the mechanisms and effects of regional deprivation on mortality due to suicide.

KW - Adult

KW - Cause of Death

KW - Female

KW - Germany/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Rural Population/statistics & numerical data

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Suicide/statistics & numerical data

KW - Urban Population/statistics & numerical data

U2 - 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0069

DO - 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0069

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 38717465

VL - 121

SP - 449

EP - 453

JO - DTSCH ARZTEBL INT

JF - DTSCH ARZTEBL INT

SN - 1866-0452

IS - 14

ER -