Purpose of review: We review recent research on the epidemiology and etiology of suicide in the global context. We focus on data from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), with the goal of highlighting findings from these under-researched, over-burdened settings.
Recent findings: Prevalence of suicide in LMIC adults varies across region and country income-level, but is, on average, lower than in high-income countries. Recent gains in suicide reduction, however, have been smaller in LMIC compared to global rates. LMIC youth have much higher rates of suicide attempts than youth from high-income countries. Females as well as people with psychiatric disorders, those living with HIV, those who are LGBTQ + , and those with poor socioeconomic status are highly vulnerable populations in LMIC. Limited and low-quality data from LMIC hinder clear interpretation and comparison of results. A greater body of more rigorous research is needed to understand and prevent suicide in these settings.
Keywords: Epidemiology; Etiology; LMIC; Suicidal behaviors; Suicidal thoughts.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.