Suicidal behaviour in Europe : the situation in the 1990s

Abstract

This document summarizes the status of suicidal behaviour within the European Region of WHO. The definitions and meaning of suicidal behaviour in various cultural settings are discussed and the frequencies of suicide and attempted suicide are reported. Suicidal behaviour has constituted a problem of increasing concern in most European countries for many years. In recent years, the rates of suicide have been decreasing in most countries in western Europe, but marked increases have taken place in most countries in the eastern part of the European Region. There are no national statistics on attempted suicide, but studies indicate that there are at least 8-10 times as many suicide attempts as completed suicides. Finally, the work of WHO on preventing suicide together with that of the United Nations resulting in the document "Prevention of suicide. Guidelines for the formulation and implementation of national strategies" is discussed and various initiatives recommended