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Rising, including doubling, suicide rates in the 15-19 age group have
been reported in a number of countries, over the past thirty years. If
the UNICEF figures alluded to in Sophie Arie's news item (BMJ, 2002;324:1238)
can be relied upon, Argentina can now be added to that list of countries.
The causal link between teenage suicide and economic factors, implied in
the news item's heading, is however wholly gratuitous. There is no
evidence that socioeconomic factors cause suicide. Wealthier, not poorer,
countries tend to have the higher suicide rates. (1) A rising suicide rate
in younger age groups is probably the joint effect of dropping infant
mortality rates and, to a small extent, pubertal age advancement. More
generally, suicide, conceived as the outcome of a disorder, falls in the
same category as cancer: diseases that are not (yet) treatable. Decreases
in the mortality rates of treatable diseases will tend to result in rising
mortality rates of diseases that as yet are not amenable to treatment.
References:
1. Lester, D. Patterns of suicide and homicide in the world. Commack, NY:
Nova Science, 1996.
Teenage suicides double as the future crumbles
Rising, including doubling, suicide rates in the 15-19 age group have
been reported in a number of countries, over the past thirty years. If
the UNICEF figures alluded to in Sophie Arie's news item (BMJ, 2002;324:1238)
can be relied upon, Argentina can now be added to that list of countries.
The causal link between teenage suicide and economic factors, implied in
the news item's heading, is however wholly gratuitous. There is no
evidence that socioeconomic factors cause suicide. Wealthier, not poorer,
countries tend to have the higher suicide rates. (1) A rising suicide rate
in younger age groups is probably the joint effect of dropping infant
mortality rates and, to a small extent, pubertal age advancement. More
generally, suicide, conceived as the outcome of a disorder, falls in the
same category as cancer: diseases that are not (yet) treatable. Decreases
in the mortality rates of treatable diseases will tend to result in rising
mortality rates of diseases that as yet are not amenable to treatment.
References:
1. Lester, D. Patterns of suicide and homicide in the world. Commack, NY:
Nova Science, 1996.
Thomas Verberne
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Competing interests: No competing interests