Suicide Death Rate after Disasters: A Meta-Analysis Study

Abstract

Background

Disasters have undesirable effects on health among individuals such as psychosocial disorders which may lead lead to suicide in some cases. Thus, the present study aimed to measure the rate of suicide death after disasters all over the world.

Methods

In the present meta-analysis study, all of the articles published in English until the end of 2019 were probed in electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Google Scholar. Then, the data were imported to STATA ver.13 software and analyzed through fixed- and random-effects models, meta-regression, and Cochrane statistical tests.

Results

A total of 11 studies including a sample size of 65495867 were considered. Suicide death rates before and after the disasters were calculated as 13.61 (CI95%: 11.59−15.77) vs. 16.68 (CI95%: 14.5–19:0) among the whole population, 28.36 (CI 95%:11.29−45.43) vs. 32.17 (CI95%: 17.71–46.62) among men, and 12.71 (CI95%: 5.98−19.44) vs 12.69 (CI95%: 5.17−20.21) among women. The rate of suicide death significantly increased in the whole population and men, while no significant difference was reported among women.

Conclusion

Suicide death rate increases after disasters indicating the destructive impact of this phenomenon on peoples’ health. Therefore, implementing supportive and interventional measures is highly suggested after disasters in order to prevent suicide death among the affected people.

Keywords:

• Disasters
• mass casualty incidents
• meta-analysis
• suicide

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank all people who helped us in conducting this study.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

AUTHOR NOTES

Hamid Safarpour, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Sanaz Sohrabizadeh, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Leila Malekyan, Clinical Research Center, Pastor Educational Hospital, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran. Meysam Safi-Keykaleh, Malayer School of Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Davoud Pirani, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Salman Daliri, Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran, and Jafar Bazyar, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jafar Bazyar, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hamid Safarpour

Hamid Safarpour, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Sanaz Sohrabizadeh

Sanaz Sohrabizadeh, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Leila Malekyan

Leila Malekyan, Clinical Research Center, Pastor Educational Hospital, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran.

Meysam Safi-Keykaleh

Meysam Safi-Keykaleh, Malayer School of Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

Davoud Pirani

Davoud Pirani, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Salman Daliri

Salman Daliri, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

Jafar Bazyar

Jafar Bazyar, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.