What Was The Distribution of Suicide Rates By Socio-Demographic Factors Between 2007 and 2016 in Turkey?

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the distribution of suicide rates in Turkey between 2007 and 2016 by gender, age, marital status, and geographical region. Methods: Suicide statistics obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute and population data were used to calculate suicide rates by gender, age, marital status, and geographical region. An independent two-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: In Turkey, suicide rates are low, but they have slowly risen recently. The suicide rate of men was higher than that of women (p<0.001). The highest suicide rate by age group was among people 75 years and older and the second highest was among people 15 to 24 years old (p<0.001). The suicide rate of divorced people was higher than that of other marital status groups (p<0.001). Average suicide rates in the seven geographical regions of Turkey differed from each other, and suicide rates among men and women in each region varied (p<0.001). Conclusion: The suicide rate between 2007 and 2016 was higher in men, particularly for older ages, the divorced, and those living in both socio-economically developed and underdeveloped regions in Turkey. Socio-demographic characteristics must be taken into consideration in studies focusing on the prevalence and prevention of suicide