Suicide ideation, plans and attempts in Ukraine: findings from the Ukraine World Mental Health Survey.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Because the suicide rates in Eastern Europe have increased, the epidemiology of suicide behaviors in this part of the world is in urgent need of study. Using data from the Ukraine site of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative, we present the first population-based findings from a former Soviet country on the descriptive epidemiology of suicide ideation, plans and attempts, and their links to current functioning and service utilization.

METHOD:
In 2002, a nationally representative sample of 4725 adults in Ukraine was interviewed with the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Risk factors included demographic characteristics, trauma, smoking, and parental and personal psychiatric disorders. Current functional impairments and recent service utilization were assessed.

RESULTS:
The lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation was 8.2%. The average age of onset was 31. The key risk factors were female sex, younger age, trauma, parental depression, and prior alcohol, depressive and intermittent explosive disorders, especially the presence of co-morbidity. Ideators had poorer functioning and greater use of health services. One-third of ideators had a plan, and one-fifth made an attempt. Among ideators, young age, smoking and prior psychiatric disorders were risk factors for these behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS:
Together with the increasing suicide rate, these results suggest that suicide intervention programs in Ukraine should focus on the generation of young adults under 30. The associations with co-morbidity, impairments in current functioning and greater service use indicate that a physician education program on suicidality should be comprehensive in scope and a public health priority in Ukraine.

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Author information

Author/s: Bromet, Evelyn J (EJ); Havenaar, Johan M (JM); Tintle, Nathan (N); Kostyuchenko, Stanislav (S); Kotov, Roman (R); Gluzman, Semyon (S);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8790, USA. evelyn.bromet(-atsign-)stonybrook.edu

Grants: MH61905 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 DA016558 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; R01 MH069864 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH070884 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 TW006481 (Agency:FIC NIH HHS) ; R13 MH066849 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychological medicine (Psychol Med), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jun; vol 37 (issue 6) : pp 807-19

Dates: Created 2007/05/14; Completed 2007/07/31; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17288636, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Female
Humans
Incidence

Incidence
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Questionnaires
Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data
Ukraine - epidemiology

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