Review of suicide studies in Turkey.

Official statistics in Turkey show that 3.33 per 100,000 population aged 15 years or over commit suicide every year. Suicides are more frequent in the cities and in the western part of the country. Although suicide rates are much lower than in Western Europe, suicide attempt rates reached comparable levels, around 145 per 100,000, in Ankara in 1995. Studies on the attitudes among the public and among psychiatrists reveal reluctance to face this growing problem.