Revisiting Cultural Issues in Suicide Rates: The Case of Western Countries

Suicidal behaviors among different age groups show epidemiological differences between countries. Specifically, suicide rates for the younger populations appear to be lower in Latin-origin countries (such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal) in comparison to other Western countries (especially Anglo-Saxon countries such as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia). The opposite seems to be true for the older population, suggesting a cross-cultural pattern for suicidal behavior in different ages. The current study replicates a study published in 1999 and compares suicide data between 1990 and 1994 with more recent data from the years 2016 and 2020 to investigate the persistence of previously observed trends. Basically, the recent years’ data confirm the patterns evidenced a quarter of a century ago, and substantially confirm the existence of suicide trends embedded with countries’ cultural factors and traditions. This investigation underlines the importance of incorporating anthropology, sociology, ethnography, and geography while studying culture-related patterns in suicide.