Specific characteristics of suicide in China

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this paper are (i) to describe the specific characteristics of suicide in China and compare it with that in a western country, Denmark: and (ii) to discuss the accuracy of suicide data and the possible explanations for suicide behaviour in China. METHOD: Data for the study are obtained from the World Health Statistics Annual based on official records in China and the Danish Cause-of-Death Register, and standardized according to the age-specified population of China in 1990. RESULTS: The specific characteristics of suicide in China differed strikingly from the general pattern of suicide in other western countries as well as in Denmark: suicide rates in females were higher than in males; rural rates were more than three times higher than urban rates; suicide rates peaked for those aged 75 + years, but with a minor peak in females for those aged 15-24 years old. CONCLUSION: These specific characteristics of suicide in China may possibly be interpreted in terms of traditional culture, social forces, political environment and economic status.