Sándor Kalmár M.D. Ph.D.

Every suicide prevention program is based on the findings of the famous Gotland study. Gotland is a famous island in Sweden, in the middle of Baltic Sea. One of the greatest results of this program, besides the decreasing number of suicides, is the recognition of the fact that every short educational program for general practitioners has only short-term efficiency.

Number of suicides in GOTLAND. 1981-1995

	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
No.	16	13	11	5	4	5	13	12	13	12	9	5	6	10	9

Table 1. Number of suicides in GOTLAND. 1981-1995 (The educational programs took place in 1983 and 1992)

This educational program was effective only a few years.

In the past decade there were various educational programs in different counties, subregions and towns in Hungary. However, these educational programs were ephemeral, just as in Gotland. After a few years, the number of suicides once again showed an increase in Szolnok, Kiskunhalas and other subregions.

Number of suicides in 100 000 inhabitants, by gender in SZOLNOK town. 1999-2008.

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
male	15	10	29	19	14	16	7	6	6	11
female	10	7	6	6	7	7	3	5	3	5
total	25	17	35	25	21	23	10	11	9	16

Table 2. Number of suicides in 100 000 inhabitants, by gender. SZOLNOK town. 1999-2008.

The ”European Alliance Against Depression” (EAAD) program took place in Szolnok town in 2005. Szolnok town is a county-town of JÁSZ-NAGYKUN-SZOLNOK county in Hungary with average population 74 946.

Number of suicides in 100 000 inhabitants, by gender in SZOLNOK county. 1999-2008.

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
male	42,0	28,43	79,98	52,56	38,97	44,83	19,76	17,03	17,12	31,49
female	24,56	17,33	14,57	14,62	17,13	17,16	7,38	12,38	7,46	12,49
total	32,71	22,49	45,09	32,42	27,34	30,08	13,15	14,55	11,96	21,35

Table 3. Number of suicides in 100 000 inhabitants, by gender. SZOLNOK county. 1999-2008.

The EAAD Program was effective only for three years.

 

Number of suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in SZOLNOK county and SZOLNOK town. 1999-2008.

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
County	47,0	48,3	44,1	42,2	35,0	33,7	34,0	31,8	30,6	38,5
Town	32,71	22,49	45,09	32,42	27,34	30,08	13,15	14,55	11,96	21,35

Table 4. Number of suicides in SZOLNOK county and SZOLNOK town per 100,000 inhabitants.

Szolnok county did not participate in EAAD Program. The population of the county is 394,891 as of 2009.

We have observed an interesting phenomenon. In the past ten years the suicide rate decreased considerably in some counties and some subregions in Bács-Kiskun County without any prevention programs. In spite of this fact, we have to continue the educational programs for the General Practitioners.

 

Number of suicides in 100,000 inhabitants. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town. 1999-2008.

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
HUNG	32,5	32	29,2	28	27,7	27,1	26	24,4	24,4	24,7
BKKC	49,3	49,7	40,7	41	40,4	38,3	36	30,8	30,8	29,9
BAJA	38,4	38,5	23,2	31,2	26,1	26,2	26,4	26,5	13,3	17,2
B-ALM	68,6	63,6	37,3	70	54,5	43,7	44,3	22,6	51,1	45,2
KALOCS	50,8	49,1	38,8	32	39,5	25,3	36,6	27,8	22,2	32,4
KSZTM	75,4	43,6	37,2	31	21,7	46,8	28,3	35	38,3	16
SZOLN-t	32,71	22,49	45,09	32,42	27,34	30,08	13,15	14,55	11,96	21,35

Table 5. Number of suicides in 100,000 inhabitants. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town. 1999-2008.

 

Decreasing number of suicides (%) per 100,000 inhabitants. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town,. 1999-2008.

	Decreasing Suicide Rates between 1999-2008
BAJA subregion	– 52,2%
BÁCSALMÁS-subregion	– 34,1%
KALOCSA-subregion	– 36,2%
KUNSZENTMIKLÓS-subregion	– 78,8%
SZOLNOK-town	– 34,7%

Table 6. Decreasing number of suicides (%) per 100,000 inhabitants. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town,. 1999-2008.

 

Decreasing Suicide Rates (%) in Hungary by county between 1999-2008.

Figure 1. Decreasing Suicide Rates (%) in Hungary by county between 1999-2008.

Decreasing number of suicides (%) in 100 000 inhabitant. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town,. 1999-2008.

	Decreasing Suicide Rates between 1999-2008
HUNGARY	– 24%
BÁCS-KISKUN-COUNTY	– 39,3%
BAJA subregion	– 52,2%
BÁCSALMÁS-subregion	– 34,1%
KALOCSA-subregion	– 36,2%
KUNSZENTMIKLÓS-subregion	– 78,8%
SZOLNOK-town	– 34,7%

Table 7. Decreasing number of suicides (%) in 100 000 inhabitant. HUNGARY, BÁCS-KISKUN County, BAJA subregion, BÁCSALMÁS subregion, KALOCSA subregion, KUNSZENTMIKLÓS subregion, SZOLNOK town,. 1999-2008.

In the future, it is worth trying to develop complex long-term, parallel, simultaneous educational programs in every county using the Internet, which is a promising and advantageous tool for these types of educational programs.

 

References

1. Kalmár S: (2010) Suicidium. Miskolc, 21.June. Optimised suicide prevention programs and their implementation in Europe. (OSPI)

2. Kalmár S: (2010) Suicid prvenció Miskolcon. 21. June. Optimised suicide prevention programs and their implementation in Europe. (OSPI)

3. Kalmár S: The Advantages and the Disadvantages of the Internet in Preventing Suicide. In Internet and Suicide by Leo Sher & Alex Vilens. Nova Science Publishers New York, 2009.