Trends in suicide rates and the case-fatality of pesticide self-poisoning in an agricultural county in china, 2009 to 2014

Background: Suicide rates in China have declined substantially in the last two decades, however, the correlates of the decreases are still unclear. Methods: Using hospital-based suicidal acts registry system in Meixian county, we reviewed all episodes of suicidal behaviors presented at hospitals from 2009 to 2014. The data was combined with the suicides reported in the same period by the county?s Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Stratified by gender and method, age standardized incidences of suicide death, suicide attempts, suicidal acts, as well as the case-fatalities of suicidal acts, were calculated. Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to test the time trends changes of the annual incidences and case-fatalities. Correlation coefficients between suicide rates and case-fatality were estimated. Results: Age-standardized suicide rates among females declined by 20.4% per year, meanwhile, overall suicide rates were characterized by downward trend without statistical significance. The annual proportions of suicide deaths by pesticide self-poisoning ranged from 57.1% to 82.6%. There were positive or marginally positive correlations between suicide rates and case-fatalities of suicidal acts in gender-and method-specific groups (r values range from 0.77 to 0.89). Limitations: Underreporting in the hospital-based registry system and misclassification in the death reporting system. Changes in other related factors are not yet accessible. Conclusion: Suicide rates in females declined prominently in Meixian from 2009 to 2014, even though overall suicide rates remained steady. Pesticide ingestion were most common suicide method. Restriction of pesticide and reduction in the case-fatality are critical targets of suicide prevention in rural China.

Automated summary

The study found that suicide rates among females in Meixian declined significantly from 2009 to 2014, while overall suicide rates remained stable. The most common suicide method was pesticide ingestion, and there were positive or marginally positive correlations between suicide rates and case-fatality in gender- and method-specific groups.