Almost two thousand Hungarian suicides in one year

The number of suicides has decreased, but still many people end their lives, mno.hu reports. According to newest data, in 2016, 1317 men and 446 women died for this reason, as Magyar Nemzet stated.

Interestingly, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (KSH), since 1997, there were almost always three times as many male suicides as female. A great diversity can be seen in the chosen methods. In 2016, 857 males hung themselves, while most of the female suicides died of poisoning. Among the ways, jumping off a high point, shotguns, using cutting-tools, and electric shock could be found.

Sexes also differ regarding civil status.

While almost 500 of men committing suicide were married, most of the women suicides were widows.

Unmarried women and widowers are the less involved. It is especially alarming that between the ages of 15 and 19, eighteen boys and six girls ended their own lives, and one boy under 14 committed suicide. Youth suicide is a problem worldwide. As we have heard, 25-30% of patients arriving at Heim Pál Children’s Hospital at one weekend because of a suicide attempt.

Gyula Sófi, head physician at the psychiatry department of Heim Pál Children’s Hospital, and forensic child psychiatrist told us earlier that

suicide tendencies are heritable,

meaning, while different behavioural patterns are acquired during socialisation, suicide tendencies can be passed through genes. The reasons for youth suicide can be the decomposition of families, conflicts within the family, problems regarding the way of living and disputes with other young ones.

Last year, the exposure of online groups encouraging suicide in Kazakhstan and Ukraine stirred up a storm in the topic, but this danger may be threatening Hungarian young adults, too. As it has turned out, dozens of children ended their lives because of the websites. In Kazakhstan, more than a hundred cases relating to the popularisation of suicide were revealed by the police.