Suicide mortality trends in Spain, 1980-2016

Abstract

Objectives: To analyse changes in suicide mortality trends in Spain between 1980-2016 using joinpoint regression models.

Methods: Mortality data were obtained from the INE. For each gender, age-group-specific and standardised (overall and truncated) rates (ASR) were calculated by the direct method (using the European standard population). The joinpoint analysis was used to identify the best-fitting points where a statistically significant change in the trend occurred.

Results: Age adjusted mortality rates due to suicide in men was 9.8/100,000 males in 1980 and 11.8 in 2016, with an average annual increase of .8%. In women, the rates increased by 1.0% per year from 2.7 women per 100,000 in 1980 to 3.7 in 2016. The joinpoint analysis identified three turning points in the rates for both men (1986, 2000 and 2010) and women (1986, 2004 and 2010), which identify changes in the trend. In the period 2010-2016 the rates increase in women while in men the rates remain stable.

Conclusions: Our work shows a marked increase in mortality by suicide in Spanish women (2010-2016) while in men the rates remain stable. Little is known about the determinants of the increase and, therefore, more studies are needed.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Mortality; Suicide; Suicidio, Epidemiología, Mortalidad, Tendencias; Trends.