Specific characteristics of suicide in China.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this paper are (i) to describe the specific characteristics of suicide in China and compare it with that in a western country, Denmark: and (ii) to discuss the accuracy of suicide data and the possible explanations for suicide behaviour in China.

METHOD: Data for the study are obtained from the World Health Statistics Annual based on official records in China and the Danish Cause-of-Death Register, and standardized according to the age-specified population of China in 1990.

RESULTS

The specific characteristics of suicide in China differed strikingly from the general pattern of suicide in other western countries as well as in Denmark: suicide rates in females were higher than in males; rural rates were more than three times higher than urban rates; suicide rates peaked for those aged 75 + years, but with a minor peak in females for those aged 15-24 years old.

CONCLUSION

These specific characteristics of suicide in China may possibly be interpreted in terms of traditional culture, social forces, political environment and economic status.