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The impact of availability, attraction and lethality of suicide methods on suicide rates in Germany
Author(s) -
Wiedenmann A.,
Weyerer S.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1993.tb03474.x
Subject(s) - suicide rates , lethality , suicide methods , attraction , context (archaeology) , demography , poison control , suicide prevention , affect (linguistics) , injury prevention , psychology , medicine , environmental health , geography , toxicology , biology , sociology , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , communication
Substantial fluctuations have prevailed in both the rate and particular methods of suicide in the Federal Republic of Germany during the past 40 years. The current study examines the extent to which the availability, attraction and lethality of particular methods of suicide affect suicide rates. A close relationship existed in the period from 1949 and 1989 between the peaks of the suicide rate and the percentage of low threshold suicide methods according to De Catanzaro, whereby suicide in this context is understood to mean suicide by shooting or intake of solid, liquid or gaseous poisons. Our hypothetically expected lesser compensation between high and low threshold methods for women was confirmed. Between 1963 and 1976 the rate of suicide committed using domestic gas receded dramatically. Within the same period, however, the rate of suicide committed using other poisons rose accordingly.