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Editorials

Is suicide a Hungarian phenomenon?

June 5, 2010

Sándor Kalmár, M.D. Ph.D.

Suicide rate has been extremely high in Hungary for years. The Hungarian suicide behaviour is a curious phenomenon and the suicide rate is high among the Hungarian people all over the worlds.

Number of Suicides per 100 000 in Hungary. 2008.

Number of Suicides per 100.000 in Hungary. 2008

Figure 1. Number of Suicides per 100 000 in Hungary. 2008.

Suicide Standard Mortality Rate in Different Countries. 2005.

Suicide Standard Mortality Rate in Different Countries. 2005. [MBD-European Mortality Database. WHO.]

Figure 2. Suicide Standard Mortality Rate in Different Countries. 2005. [MBD-European Mortality Database. WHO.]

where H – Hungary, A – Albania, SK – Slovakia, UA – Ukraine, SRB – Serbia, CRO – Croatia, SLO – Slovenia, F – Finland, EU – 15 countries of the European Union

After the First Word War, Hungary lost 67.3% of its territory and 58.4% of its population. Examining the suicides in the Harghita County in Romania, we found that the number of suicides is extremely high among the Hungarian people after 90 years of the Treaty of Trianon [June 4th, 1920], in spite of the fact that Romania has a low suicide rate. At present the ethnic Hungarians in Harghita County, Romania, comprises 84.64% of the population, and 93% of all suicide victims are Hungarian.

 

The number of suicides per 100 000 by counties. Hungary vs. Romania. 2008.

  HUNGARY ROMANIA
Suicide rate HUNG BÁCS-
KK-C
CSONG-
COUNTY
BÉKÉS
COUNTY
HAJDÚ-
BIHAR
SZABOLCS SZATMÁR RO HARGHITA SATU-
MARE
male 40.1 45.9 54.4 9.3 53.9 41.5      
female 10.7 15.4 16.5 13.3 15.2 9.1      
total 24.7 29.9 34.4 40.1 33.7 24.6 12.9 28.8 23.2

Table 1. The number of suicides per 100 000 by counties. Hungary vs. Romania. 2008.

 

The number of suicides and suicide rate, 1991-2009. Hungary vs. Bács-Kiskun County (Hungary) vs. Harghita County (Romania).

Years Hungary Bács-Kiskun County (H) Bács-Kiskun County (H) Harghita County (Ro) Harghita County (Ro)
  Suicide rate Number Suicide rate Number Suicide rate
1991 38.5 282 52.1 82 22.7
1992 38.6 316 58.4 93 26.6
1993 35.7 256 47.5 136 39.0
1994 35 285 52.5 131 37.7
1995 32.6 261 48.4 132 38.2
1996 33.3 239 44.3 158 45.8
1997 32.1 226 42.1 165 48.0
1998 31.6 257 48.1 118 34.4
1999 32.5 262 49.3 136 39.7
2000 32.0 264 49.7 96 29.4
2001 29.2 222 40.7 116 35.6
2002 28 223 41.0 117 35.9
2003 27.7 219 40.4 108 33.1
2004 27.1 207 38.3 99 30.3
2005 26 194 36.0 112 34.3
2006 24.4 184 34.3 107 32.8
2007 24.4 165 30.8 105 31.3
2008 24.7 159 29.9 87 26.7
2009 … 181 34.1 80 24.5

Table 2. The number of suicides and suicide rate, 1991-2009. Hungary vs. Bács-Kiskun County (Hungary) vs. Harghita County (Romania).

 

Despite that more than 90 percent of those died in suicide and those attempting one suffer from a psychiatric illness in the time of the event, which is in most cases major depression (56-87%), alcohol or drug related illness (26-55%), schizophrenia (6-13%), or personality disorders, especially borderline personality disorder, the social and cultural factors increase the risk for suicidal behaviour and have a great importance both in Hungary and Hargitha County.

Nevertheless, the majority of depressed patients are not diagnosed even today in the primary care and an appropriate treatment is obtained neither in Hungary nor in Hargitha county. The lack of recognition of depression and proper treatment is obvious in depressed patients who commit suicide.

References

  1. Hendin H., Mann J.J.: The clinical Science of Suicide Prevention. The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 2001.
  2. Kalmar S. (2009) The consequences of the self-destructive behavior with special consideration of the suicide and its prevention opportunities. Bács-Kiskun county 1995-2006. Doktori Értekezés.
  3. Veress A, Vadas Gy: A Hargita megyei öngyilkosságok epidemiológiai felmérése az 1991-1996 közötti idoszakban. A Magyar Orvosok Világszövetsége Erdélyi Társasága IV. Orvos-kongresszusa, Tusnádfürdo, 1997. X. 9-12
  4. Veress A, Dorgó A, Veress R: Suicide in Harghita County (Romania). Epidemiological research, 2000-2009. In Press.

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