Analysis of Mortality Statistics of Suicides and

The Analysis of Mortality of Suicide and Self-inflicted Injury

Most people have been struggling for surviving, but in fact we reveal that some people choose to commit suicide or hurt themselves rather than to live. In this report, we will classify these death causes of suicide and self-inflicted injury by gender, age, residential area, and occupation in the data of 1998 that offered by the Department of Health, Executive Yuan. The result of the analysis is summarized as follows:

The death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury has been rising recently in Taiwan and Fuchien Area. There are 2,177 persons died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury in 1998. The mortality is 10 persons out a hundred thousand people.

According to the latest statistics offered by Department of Health, Executive Yuan, we find the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury is 1,573 persons (or 7.9 persons out a hundred thousand people) in 1989. But the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury was decreasing during 1990 through 1993. Especially in 1993, the number decreased to 1,301 persons (or 6.2 persons out a hundred thousand people) in Taiwan and Fuchien Area. However, the death toll was increasing after 1994. The death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury had increased to 2,177 persons (or 10 persons out a hundred thousand people) in Taiwan and Fuchien Area in 1998.

Suicide and self-inflicted injury has become the tenth death cause in Taiwan and Fuchien Area for two consecutive years since 1997.

The total number of 1,759 persons (male: 1,011 persons; female: 748 persons) died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury was ranked the tenth death cause in Taiwan and Fuchien Area in 1980. Afterward the death cause of suicide and self-inflicted injury changed between the eleventh or twelfth death cause in the following decade. However, the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury had reached to 2,172 persons (or 10 persons out a hundred thousand people) and turned into the tenth death cause in 1997. Though the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury had increased five persons to 2,177 persons, or 10 persons out a hundred thousand people, suicide and self-inflicted injury was still the tenth death cause in Taiwan and Fuchien Area.

There is an average of six persons died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury every day in Taiwan and Fuchien Area. The number of male mortality is twice as much as that of the female's.

According to the statistics of Department of Health, Executive Yuan, the death toll of male and female caused by suicide and self-inflicted injury is 1,439 persons (or 66.1%) and 738 persons (or 33.9%) respectively, which accounts for 1.79% of 121,946 persons of total mortality in Taiwan and Fuchien Area during 1998. The statistics indicates that there are 2 persons died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury per one hundred people. It also shows there is an average of 6 persons died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury every day; and the number of male mortality is twice as much as that of the female's (male: 4 persons; female: 2 persons).

The older people grow, the higher rate of committing suicide and self-inflicted injury is.

To observe the age-specific mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury, the most mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is the age of 30-34 years which has 245 persons (or 11.25%). And the second most age-specific mortality is the age of 35-39 years which has 217 persons (or 9.97%). The mortality of the age of 40-44 years is the following that has 211 persons (or 9.69%). At that time, the mortality of the age of 45-49 years had 187 persons (or 8.59%) died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury. According to the prior observation of four age groups, we find out almost 40% mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is between the age of 30 and 50 years. On the other hand, the statistics indicates the older people grow, the higher rate of committing suicide and self-inflicted injury is. For example, the study shows the mortality of above 65 years old is 32.8 persons per one hundred thousand people. Moreover, we observe the population of suicide and self-inflicted injury above 85 years old, the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury has even reached to 59.3 persons per one hundred thousand people. In addition, the male mortality of 88.6 persons is higher than the female mortality of 37.2 persons out a hundred thousand people.

The death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury in Keelung City, Miaoli County is higher than other areas in Taiwan and Fuchien Area.

To observe the residential area-specific mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury, there are 233 persons (male:70%; female:30%) died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury in Taipei County (or 10.7%) which is the area with the highest death toll in northern Taiwan. And Taipei Municipality has the second highest death toll which is 201 persons (9.23%) in northern Taiwan. The third highest death toll is Taoyuan County that has 175 persons (8.04%) died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury. However, the numbers of 60 persons (2.76%) of Keelung City and 45 persons (2.07%) of Ilan County are the areas with the lower death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury in northern Taiwan. In central Taiwan, we find 147 persons of Taichung County and 146 persons of Changhua County which have higher mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury than other areas. Hsinchu County is the area which has the lowest mortality of 54 persons in central Taiwan. In addition, the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury of 153 persons of Kaohsiung Municipality is the area which has the most mortality in southern Taiwan. But the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury of 36 persons (1.65%) of Chiai City and 5 persons (0.23%) of Penghu County are fewer than other areas. In eastern Taiwan, there are 40 persons (1.84%) died due to suicide and self-inflicted injury in Hualien County and 30 persons (1.38%) in Taitung County.

When we observe the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury of per one hundred thousand persons, the mortality of 15.9 persons (male: 19.1 persons; female: 12.6 persons) of Keelung City and 15.2 persons (male: 18.2 persons; female: 11.8 persons) of Miaoli County are more than other areas. The fewest mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is Taitung County which has only 5.6 persons per one hundred thousand people.

Almost one-fourth mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury has been suffered by disability, illness and aging; most of them are poorly paid, low-skill laborers.

To observe the occupation-specific mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury, there are 375 employees (or 17.23%) and 1,802 unemployed persons (or 82.77%). In this employees mortality, there are 137 persons (6.29%) who are poorly paid and 129 persons (5.93%) who are low-skill laborers. Moreover, In the population of unemployed persons, there are 506 persons (24.32%) has been suffered by disability, illness and aging, 284 housewives (13.05%), 29 students (1.33%) and 982 others (45.11%).

The statistics indicates one-fourth mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury has been suffered by disability, illness and aging. We also find the mortality of suicide for housewives has reached to 1.3%, most of them have encountered the pressure of the family, affairs during marriage life but they do not have any ways to get over it. In conclusion, the mortality of poorly paid, low-skill laborer is higher than other occupation.

The mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury has decreased life expectancy at birth of Taiwan and Fuchien Area by 0.23 years.

According to the data of 1997 abridged life table of eliminated the causes of the death toll of suicide and self-inflicted injury has decreased life expectancy at birth of Taiwan and Fuchien Area by 0.23 years. The life expectancy at birth of male decreases 0.27 years, and the female decreases 0.18 years.

The mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury in Taiwan and Fuchien Area is increasing as rapid as that in British and Italy.

According to the statistics of Word Health Statistics Annual (WHO) of 1994, Japan is the country with the highest mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury. The mortality of both genders is 16.9 persons per one hundred thousand people (male:23.1 persons; female:10.9 persons). Australia is the country which has the second highest mortality of 12.8 persons per one hundred thousand people (male: 21.0 persons, female: 4.7 persons). At the same time, the both genders death rate of suicide and self-inflicted injury in Taiwan and Fuchien Area is 6.9 persons per one hundred thousand people (male: 9.0 persons; female: 4.6 persons).

On the other hand, compare the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury of Taiwan and Fuchien Area with Mainland China, the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is very close. The male mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is 6.9 persons per one hundred thousand people in Taiwan and Fuchien Area, which is higher than 6.5 persons of Mainland China's. But the female mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is 4.6 persons per one hundred thousand people in Taiwan and Fuchien Area which is lower than 7.0 persons of Mainland China's. The data of Mainland China's mortality indicates an unusual result that the female mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is higher than the male's. The other important thing we find is the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is going up in Taiwan and Fuchien Area. When we observe the data of 1998, the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury has reached to 10.0 persons per one hundred thousand people (male: 12.8 persons; female: 6.9 persons). The number of mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury in Taiwan and Fuchien Area has almost reached to the records of 1995 of British and Italy.

In conclusion, we find out an important fact that the mortality of suicide and self-inflicted injury is increasing gradually in Taiwan and Fuchien Area. We have to penetrate the reasons that make people attempt to suicide, so that we can apply the appropriate assistance and psychological therapy to them.