Suicide in Switzerland
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Switzerland had a standardised suicide rate of 10.7 per 100,000 (male 15.5, female 6.0) as of 2015.
Statistics
The 2015 Swiss suicide rate f 10.7 is comparable to the rates of neighbouring France (12.7; male 19.0, female 5.9), Austria (11.7; male 18.5, female 5.3) and Germany (9.1; male 14.5, female 4.5). It is somewhat below the European average of 11.93, and close to the global average of 10.67.[1] The rate of 10.7 published by the World Health Organisation is "age-standardised", attempting to control for differences in age structure for the purposes of international comparison. The raw Swiss suicide rate is somewhat higher. In 2014, 1029 people committed non-assisted suicide (754 men, 275 women), for a rate of 12.5 (18.5 male, 6.6 female). Not included are 742 assisted suicides (320 men, 422 women); most of the assisted suicides concerned elderly people suffering from cancer.[2] The Swiss statistics of causes of death by years of potential life lost (YPLL) as of 2014 estimates suicides at 12323 YPLL for men (12% of all causes of death) and 4750 YPLL for women (8% of all causes of death). Standardised rates of YPLL per 100,000 people relative to the 2010 European standard population (Eurostat 2013) are 327.0 for men (29 hours per capita) and 128.6 (11 hours per capita) for women.[3]
The suicide rate has declined steadily during the 1980s to 2000s, down from 25 in the mid 1980s.[4] Since ca. 2010, the downward trend as stopped and there has been no further significant reduction in suicide rates.[2] The peak in the 1980s was preceded by a historically low rate of 17 in the 1960s. The male-to-female gender ratio has been reduced from 6:1 in the late 19th century to about 2.5:1 today. In 1881, male suicide rate was at 42, close to three times the modern value, while female suicide rate was at 7, comparable to the modern value.
The Swiss canton with the highest suicide rates for the period 2001–2010 were Appenzell Ausserrhoden for men (37) and canton of Schaffhausen for women (10); the canton with the lowest suicide rate was Italian-speaking Ticino (male 14, female 5), consistent with lower rates in southern Europe, but still notably higher than the rate in neighbouring Italy (at 5.4 as of 2015).[5]
Methods
A statistic of suicide methods compiled for the period of 2001–2012 found that the preferred suicide method for men was by shooting (29.7%), followed by hanging (28.7%), poison (16.5%), jumping from a height (9.8%) and by train (7.9%). The statistics for women are somewhat different, the most preferred method being poison (38.8%) followed by hanging (18.5%), jumping from a height (16.0%), by train (9.5%) and shooting (3.0%).[6]
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide has been legal since 1941 if performed by a non-physician without a vested interest in that individual's death. The law prohibits doctors, spouses, children, or other such related parties from directly participating in one's death. Many citizens from other countries cross over into Switzerland to end their lives. This controversial practice of "suicide tourism" is allowed by the Swiss government, and the access is supported by public opinion. The laws regarding assisted suicide are intended to restrict the practice as a last resort by terminally ill people.[7] Dignitas, a Swiss group that facilitates suicide, requires that patients provide specific doctor's proof and prognosis in writing specifying terminal illness.[8]
See also
- Demographics of Switzerland
- Epidemiology of suicide
- List of countries by suicide rate
- Euthanasia in Switzerland
References
- ^ "Suicide rates Data by country". World Health Organization. 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2017. OECD Health Data 2012 - Frequently Requested Data, downloadable spreadsheet. Accessed 12 September 2012.
- ^ a b Sterbehilfe und Suizid in der Schweiz 2014, Federal Statistical Office, published 11 October 2016.
- ^ Verlorene potentielle Lebensjahre, Männer Verlorene potentielle Lebensjahre, Frauen, Federal Statistical Office, published 23 June 2016. These estimates only take into account YPLL before the age of 70.
- ^ History 1881–2001 (fssz.ch)
- ^ Vergleich nach Kantonen (fssz.ch)
- ^ Epidemiologie von Suiziden, Suizidversuchen und assistierten Suiziden in der Schweiz, Federal Office of Public Health, April 2015
- ^ Swiss voters reject ban on assisted suicide for foreigners, 15 May 2011, The Guardian. Accessed 12 September 2012.
- ^ Bojan Pancevski, Swiss suicide clinics 'helping depressives die', 3 June 2007, The Daily Telegraph. Accessed 12 September 2012.