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Socio-economic inequalities in suicide: a European comparative study

Health Sociology and Economics, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium and Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

ANTON E. KUNST and MARTIJN HUISMAN

Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

GIUSEPPE COSTA

Department of Public Health and Microbiology, Turin, Italy

JOHAN MACKENBACH

Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

EU Working Group on Socio-Economic Inequalities in Health

Correspondence: Vincent Lorant, Health Sociology and Economics, Catholic University of Louvain, Clos chapelle aux champs 30.41, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 764 3263; fax: +32 2 764 3031; e-mail: lorant{at}sesa.ucl.ac.be

Declaration of interest None.

Background Social factors have been shown to be predictors of suicide. It is not known whether these factors vary between countries.

Aims To present a first European overview of socio-economic inequalities in suicide mortality among men and women.

Method We used a prospective follow-up of censuses matched with vital statistics in ten European populations. Directly standardised rates of suicide were computed for each country.

Results In men, a low level of educational attainment was a risk factor for suicide in eight out of ten countries. Suicide inequalities were smaller and less consistent in women. In most countries, the greater the socio-economic disadvantage, the higher is the risk of suicide. The population of Turin evidenced no socio-economic inequalities.

Conclusions Socio-economic inequalities in suicide are a generalised phenomenon in western Europe, but the pattern and magnitude of these inequalities vary between countries. These inequalities call for improved access to psychiatric care for lower socio-economic groups.

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