TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiology of suicide in Pakistan
T2 - Determining rates in six cities
AU - Khan, Murad M.
AU - Naqvi, Haider
AU - Thaver, Durrane
AU - Prince, Martin
PY - 2008/4
Y1 - 2008/4
N2 - In recent years suicide has become a major public health problem in Pakistan. Despite this there are no official statistics on suicide and national rates are unknown. To determine rates we carried out an analysis of suicide reports from six cities in Pakistan. Rates vary from 0.43/100,000 in Peshawar to 2.86/100,000 in Rawalpindi. Rates for men are consistently higher than women; highest rates for men were 7.06/100,000 between the ages 20-40 years in Larkana, Sindh province. Given the legal, socio-cultural, and religious stigma of suicides in Pakistan, we believe these figures to be an underestimate. There is urgent need for a standard system of recording of suicides in Pakistan, so that true rates can be determined. This will help in informing policy and monitoring effectiveness of suicide prevention programs.
AB - In recent years suicide has become a major public health problem in Pakistan. Despite this there are no official statistics on suicide and national rates are unknown. To determine rates we carried out an analysis of suicide reports from six cities in Pakistan. Rates vary from 0.43/100,000 in Peshawar to 2.86/100,000 in Rawalpindi. Rates for men are consistently higher than women; highest rates for men were 7.06/100,000 between the ages 20-40 years in Larkana, Sindh province. Given the legal, socio-cultural, and religious stigma of suicides in Pakistan, we believe these figures to be an underestimate. There is urgent need for a standard system of recording of suicides in Pakistan, so that true rates can be determined. This will help in informing policy and monitoring effectiveness of suicide prevention programs.
KW - Islam
KW - Pakistan
KW - Rates
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=40749138244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13811110701857517
DO - 10.1080/13811110701857517
M3 - Article
C2 - 18340598
AN - SCOPUS:40749138244
SN - 1381-1118
VL - 12
SP - 155
EP - 160
JO - Archives of Suicide Research
JF - Archives of Suicide Research
IS - 2
ER -