Epidemiology of Suicide Deaths in Fars Province, 2007 – 2011

Background & Objectives : Suicide is a conscious attempt to end one’s life. Evidence suggests that nearly one million people die due to suicide worldwide each year. The aim of present study was to describe the epidemiological and demographic data of suicide victims and related factors in Fars Province. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the demographic and epidemiological data of suicide victims in Fars Province during the 5-year period from April 2007 to March 2011 was collected by a questionnaire. Finally, the data was statistically analyzed. Results : The victims were 934 cases. The mean and standard deviation of age for the cases was 32.12 ± 81.29 years. About 72.5% & 27.3% were men & women, respectively. The most common methods of suicide were hanging (n=472, 5.50%) for men and self burning (n=103, 16%) for women. Most of the people who committed suicide (n=411, 44%) were in the third decade of life (20 to 29 years). The most common etiology (53.5%) was unknown. Conclusion: Due to the high incidence of suicide in young people and unmarried individuals, authorities need to consider these groups in social planning in Fars Province