Suicide and Suicidal Behavior
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of epidemiological studies and surveillance data.
OpenAlex W2123612404 · doi:10.1093/epirev/mxn002
What was done
The authors conducted a systematic review of epidemiological studies published from 1997 to 2007 alongside government surveillance data to evaluate global and US prevalence, trends, and risk and protective factors for suicide and suicidal behavior.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values or effect sizes. It reports that prevalence varies cross-nationally, but age of onset, transition probabilities, and key risk factors are consistent. Completed suicide was more prevalent in men, whereas nonfatal suicidal behavior was more prevalent in women, young people, unmarried individuals, and those with psychiatric disorders. Despite increases in treatment over the 10-year period, incidence rates of suicidal behavior remained largely unchanged.
Why it matters
It demonstrates that rising rates of treatment have not translated to lower population-level suicide rates, highlighting the need for prevention strategies that target modifiable risk factors.
Limits
The abstract gives no quantitative data, counts of included studies, or total sample size. The underlying data are observational, subject to reporting and classification heterogeneity across jurisdictions, and predominantly focused on prevalence correlates rather than causal mechanisms.
Cited by
- supports Young men are 4 times as likely to die by suicide, 3 times as likely to suffer from addiction, and 12 times as likely to be incarcerated compared to women.