Are national suicide prevention programs effective? A comparison of 4 verum and 4 control countries over 30 years

U Lewitzka; C Sauer; M Bauer; W Felber

doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2147-y

Are national suicide prevention programs effective? A comparison of 4 verum and 4 control countries over 30 years

BMC Psychiatry. 2019 May 23;19(1):158. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2147-y.

Authors

U Lewitzka¹, C Sauer², M Bauer², W Felber²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany. ute.lewitzka@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
² Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Suicide and non-fatal suicidal behavior are significant public health issues worldwide requiring effective preventive interventions.

Methods: The aim of the present study was to analyze the effectiveness of national suicide prevention programs taking a statistical approach involving the segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series data.

Results: This study demonstrates that National Suicide Prevention Programs are effective, but this effect seems to correlate with age and sex. Our data have shown a statistical significant decline in suicide rates in the verum countries in males, with the strongest effects in groups aged 25-to-44 years and 45-to-64 years.

Conclusion: Our study implies that the implementation of a national strategy is an effective tool to reduce suicide rates.

Keywords: Effectiveness; Suicide; Suicide prevention programs; Suicide rates.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Australia / epidemiology
Female
Finland / epidemiology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
National Health Programs*
Norway / epidemiology
Public Health / methods*
Suicidal Ideation*
Suicide Prevention*
Sweden / epidemiology
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome