Title:Risk Factors for Suicide – An Alternative View
Volume: 12
Issue: 7
Author(s): Tim Johannes Krause, Bernhard Bogerts and Axel Genz
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Age, pain, physical illness, psychiatric disorders, suicide, suicide methods, unemployment.
Abstract: During the past years suicide statistics in Germany showed a dramatic decrease of suicide rates. Such a
reduction in a comparatively short time period is not explainable by an altered frequency of major psychiatric disorders or
certain neurobiological conditions that may underlie suicide; other factors causing or leading to suicide and their
modification have to be considered. This overview illustrates various risk factors for suicide different from neurobiology.
Epidemiological aspects and the effect of political, social and economic contributions to suicide rates are exemplified.
With regard to the incidence of major psychiatric disorders the paper focuses on physical illnesses and their risk of
suicide. Finally the significance of changes in the accessibility of suicide methods is discussed.