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.

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

Suicide Standard Mortality Rate in Different Countries. 2005.

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 4^th, 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.