Dynamics of suicide in turkey: An empirical analysis

Abstract

Background: Suicide has become a public mental health problem in Turkey, with the number of deaths increasing: in 1974, the suicide rate was 1.92% for males and 1.31% for females; in 2013 this had risen to 6.22% for males and 2.26% for females. Aims: This study attempts to empirically investigate the behaviour of suicide in Turkey by focusing on sex and cause. We pay special attention to the role of structural shifts in suicide ratios, which may have arisen from the structural changes in Turkish economy during last 2 decades. Methods: We used time series analysis and employed unit root and stationarity tests for the period 1974–2013. Results: The results show that disruption to female suicide and suicidal affairs stemmed from economic problems and business failures have a random walk process. This finding implies that shocks driven by economic issues and shocks toward the female sex have a permanent, long-term impact on suicide. Conclusions: The implication is that the social administration needs to implement relevant, necessary suicide prevention policies for suicides occurring in the female and economic problems groups. © World Health Organization (WHO) 2020.