Suicide rates in China from 2002 to 2011: an update
Abstract
Purposes The aims of this study were: (1) to present the time trend of suicide rate among people aged 15 or above in China over the period 2002-2011 and (2) to examine the current profile of completed suicides during 2009-2011.Methods Data on suicide rate in 2002-2011 were provided by the Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH). The trends of region-, gender-, and age-specific suicide rates were examined using Poisson regression models. The mean number of completed suicides for each cohort during 2009-2011 was calculated and a mean national suicide rate was estimated.Findings The overall suicide rate decreased significantly over the past decade, but rates in young males and rural older adults did not reduce and in fact increased among older adults in both urban and rural areas towards the end of the study period. For 2009-2011, 44 % of all suicides occurred among those aged 65 or above and 79 % among rural residents. The estimated mean national suicide rate was 9.8 per 100,000 and was slightly higher for males than females.Conclusion The benefits of economic growth, such as higher employment and more educational opportunities for the rural population in particular, may have contributed to the reduced suicide rate in China. However, the recent rapid changes in socioeconomic conditions could have increased stress levels and resulted in more suicides, especially among the elderly. Despite the significant reduction reported here, the latest figures suggest the declining trend is reversing. It will be important to continue monitoring the situation and to examine how urbanization and economic changes affect the well-being of 1.3 billion Chinese.
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In China, suicide rates are falling in almost all age groups, whereas in India they are falling in young people but rising in the elderly.
“In China, suicide rates are falling in almost all age groups 22 , whereas in India they are falling in young people but rising in the elderly 23 .”
From Suicide and suicide risk (2019) · cites this paper as [22]
Previous studies have reported similar trends in the most populated countries in these regions, India and China.
“Previous studies have reported similar trends in the most populated countries in these regions, India and China.”
From The global burden of injury: incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years and time trends from the Global Burden of Disease study 2013 (2016) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Wang, C.-W., Chan, C. L. W., & Yip, P. S. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Chong-Wen
- ORCID
- Yip, Paul S. F.
- Venue
- Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- Published
- 2013-11-16
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 929-941
- ISSN
- 0933-7954 (ISSN-L)
- 1433-9285
- OpenAlex
- W1977954507
- Cited by
- 279
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 6
- FWCI
- 19.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- suicide rates, suicide trends, suicide mortality, age-specific suicide rates, gender differences in suicide, urban-rural differences, older adults, young men, socio-economic change, economic growth, urbanization, China
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, China, Employment, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Rural Population, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological, Suicide, Urban Population, Urbanization, Young Adult, Economic Development
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