Male suicide mortality in eastern Finland--urban-rural changes during a 10-year period between 1988 and 1997.

AIMS

To investigate urban-rural differences in male suicide mortality between 1988 and 1997 in the province of Kuopio in eastern Finland.

METHODS

Male suicide mortality between 1988 and 1997 was studied in eastern Finland. The data were collected from official autopsy reports. Age, marital status, household type, place of death, method of suicide and the region within the county were analysed.

RESULTS

The age-adjusted male suicide mortality remained quite constant at 67 and 65/100,000 (> 15 years of age) in 1988 and 1997, respectively. In urban areas, a decline in suicide rates was noted in all age groups of men, whereas in rural areas, after an initial decline, a marked increase took place during the last years of the study period, especially among middle-aged and elderly men. This coincided with the time of recovery from an economic recession in Finland that particularly affected rural areas.

CONCLUSION

Male suicide mortality may be regionally diverging in Finland.