Retrospective study on the causes of death of suicide in Zhnhai City from 2004 to 2005

Objective The study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and modes of suicide in Zhuhai City, providing decision making evidence for suicide intervention. Methods The surveillance data of death causes among registered residents in Zhuhai from 2004 to 2005 were used to describe the epidemiological characteristics of suicidal deaths of the population. Results Theaverage suicidal death rate was 10.32/lakh among registered residents in Zhuhai from 2004 to 2005, the standardized rate being 10.78/lakh. Suicide was the second death cause following traffic accidents. The standardized rates of men and women, and in rural and urban areas were 13.91/lakh, 7.01/lakh, 13.50/lakh, and 6.32/lakh, respectively, men higher than women (u=4.11, P0.01), and rural higher thanurban (u= 4.59, P0.01). The two- year average suicide rate increased in proportion to the increase ofage, significantly among people over 60 years old and mostly elderly men. The suicide was committed mostly by poison and hanging, accounting for 77.20% of all the commitment. Conclusion The average suicidal death rate among registered residents in Zhuhai is lower than the national average.Both a Chinese pattern in which the incidence is higher in rural than urban areas and the suicide iscommitted mainly by hanging and poison, and a foreign one where men especially elderly men aremore found committing suicide than women. The focus of the prevention should be on the rural areaand the elderly group and the main efforts be made to improve the quality of life and strengthen rural health services, health education and pesticide management.