Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of suicides on Ontario farms from 1980-1989, and the ecological relationship between economic strain and farm suicide risk.
Method: Farm suicides were identified using a computer-assisted search of vital records. Distributions of farm suicides were examined by several demographic variables. Linear and Poisson regression were used to describe potential associations between ten economic indicators and the incidence of farm suicide.
Results: 126 farm suicides were identified. After adjustment for age and under-reporting, the farm suicide rate was estimated at 7.2 per 100,000 per year. The highest suicide rate was observed among elderly farm owner-operators. Regression analyses failed to find any associations between the economic indicators and farm suicide rates.
Conclusion: The results do not support the notion that farmers in Ontario generally have a high rate of suicide, the ecological analysis provided no evidence for increased farm suicide risk with increasing economic strain.