Suicide in Greenland
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This article is about suicide. For those at risk, there is a wide network of offers of help in which ways out are shown. In acute emergencies, the telephone counseling and the European emergency number 112 can be reached continuously and free of charge. After an initial crisis intervention , qualified referrals can be made to suitable counseling centers on request. |
Suicide is a major problem across Greenland . According to studies by the government of Greenland, one in five residents (every fourth in other reports) tries to commit suicide at some point in their life . Several initiatives have already been taken to reduce the suicide rate; For example, there are posters in many places that indicate who to turn to if you have depression .
history
In 1970 the suicide rate in Greenland was relatively low; in the 1970s it began to rise across the whole of Greenland. In 1986, suicide was the leading cause of death in several settlements, e.g. B. in Sarfannguit . From 1990 to 1994 the suicide rate in Greenland became the highest in the world, with 107 suicide cases per 100,000 people per year. Government files from 2010 suggest that suicide was committed almost weekly.
Occurrences and deviations
In 2009, the magazine BMC Psychiatry published an article that reported that within 35 years (1968–2002), 1,351 suicides had occurred in Greenland. The report showed considerable seasonal fluctuations in the suicide rate, characterized by highs in June. The accumulation of suicides during the summer months occurred increasingly in the regions north of the Arctic Circle . Regional differences could also be observed; Suicide rates in the northern parts of West Greenland are higher than in the southern regions.
More men than women commit suicide. It is predominantly young men between the ages of 15 and 24 who take their own lives. In contrast to other western countries, the suicide rate decreases with age.
causes
Several reasons are held responsible for the extremely high suicide rate in Greenland, such as alcohol addiction , depression , poverty , conflicted relationships with the spouse, problems within the family etc. According to a study published by Science Daily 2009, the suicide rate in Greenland is increasing during of summer too. Researchers justify this with sleep disorders , triggered by the uninterrupted sunshine.
A clash of traditional culture with the modern Western way of life is also seen as a triggering factor.
Commonly used methods
Hard methods were used 95% of the time. The most common methods are: strangulation (46%) and shooting (37%); other behaviors such as jumping to death, bleeding to death from cuts, drowning , drug overdosing, and poisoning were used much less frequently.
Preventive action
The government of Greenland and international and national organizations have taken measures to prevent suicides. There are several associations that provide assistance to those at risk of suicide. There are posters along streets or school buildings that read: “The call is free. Nobody is alone. Don't be alone with your dark thoughts. Give us a call. ”Suicide prevention advisors use films to address young people to prevent suicide attempts.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Rising suicide rate baffles Greenland
- ^ A b c The Suicide Capital of the World
- ↑ a b c d e f K. S. Björkstén, DF Kripke, P. Bjerregaard: Accentuation of suicides but not homicides with rising latitudes of Greenland in the sunny months. In: BMC psychiatry. Volume 9, 2009, p. 20, doi : 10.1186 / 1471-244X-9-20 , PMID 19422728 , PMC 2685778 (free full text).
- ↑ a b Singing to end teen suicide in Greenland
- ↑ a b c Modernization and Mental Health: Suicide among the Inuit in Greenland ( Memento of the original from October 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Greenland's Constant Summer Sunlight Linked To Summer Suicide Spike
- ↑ Suicide
