Suicide in Ukraine
Suicide in Ukraine is a common cause of unnatural death and a serious social issue. In 2009, Ukraine ranked 13th in the world by its total suicide per 100,000 people.[1] Suicide is Ukraine's most common type of injury death. Suicide is a leading cause of death in Ukrainian army (data for 2012; before the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict).[2]
| Suicide |
|---|
Statistics
| Suicide rates (per 100,000), by gender, Ukraine, 1981-2009 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 1981 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2009 |
| Male | 40.8 | 37.7 | 34.6 | 50.2 | 52.1 | 40.9 | 37.8 |
| Female | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Total | 23.7 | 22.3 | 20.7 | 28.4 | 29.6 | 22.6 | 21.2 |
| Number of suicides by age group and gender. Ukraine, 2009 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 5-14 | 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75+ | All |
| Males | 34 | 906 | 1504 | 1423 | 1710 | 1020 | 862 | 532 | 7992 |
| Females | 19 | 148 | 186 | 216 | 286 | 243 | 313 | 313 | 1724 |
| Total | 53 | 1054 | 1690 | 1639 | 1996 | 1263 | 1175 | 845 | 9716 |
Suicide in Ukrainian army
Suicide is a leading cause of death in Ukrainian Army causing 18% to 50% of all deaths. Long-lasting psychogenic disorders caused by difficulties with Army lifestyle, inability to adopt to the environment and the stress of life are the primary reasons of suicides.[4]
Multicenter Study on Parasuicides did a 1-year monitoring of suicidal behavior among Ukrainian soldiers based on World Health Organization guidelines. The study revealed–[4]
- Average age of suicide attempters was 19.9 years.
- 65% of suicide attempts required hospital treatment, others needed outpatient examination.
- Frequent suicide attempt methods included–
- Hanging (54.5%)
- Cutting (27.3%)
- Jumping from high places (9.1%)
- Overdose of barbiturates or other sedative drugs (9.1%).
Notable Ukrainians who committed suicide
- Oleksandr Kovalenko, professional footballer, committed suicide by jumping from his apartment
- Vasyl Yevseyev, footballer and coach, suicide by jumping
- Mykhailo Chechetov, politician, deputy head and chief whip of Party of Regions, suicide by jumping from his apartment
Suicide prevention
Ukrainian Government and also different international and national organization take different attempts and initiatives to prevent suicides in Ukraine. There are different associations who provide help and suggestions to those people who are trying to commit suicide.
| Association | Address | Way to contact | Hotline | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone of confidence "Stavropyghion-058" Lviv | PO Box 1067 1290000, LVIV | Phone | 058 | Everyday 00:00 - 23:00 |
| Odessa | 1) Face to face 2) Phone | 0487 327715, 0482 226565 | Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri: 10:00 - 08:00, Sat, Sun: 19:00 - 08:00 | |
See also
References
- "Suicide rates per 100,000 by country, year and sex (Table)". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- D L Nordstrom (2007). "Ukraine set to act on high suicide burden". Injury Prevention. 13 (4): 224–226. doi:10.1136/ip.2007.015768. PMC 2598321. PMID 17686929.
- "Suicide rates (per 100,000), by gender, Ukraine, 1981-2009" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- "Successful Model of Suicide Prevention in the Ukraine Military Environment" (PDF). Military Suicide Research Consortium. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- "Ukraine Suicide Hotlines". Suicide.org. Retrieved 16 November 2012.