Rurality and Suicide

Any consideration of rural suicide first requires consideration of the nature of rurality. There are enormous differences in the nature of rurality across the world. The characteristics of suicide in China are distinctive from those found in many Western regions and countries. In a psychological autopsy study conducted in rural and semirural districts of Sri Lanka, about one-third of those who died by suicide were thought to have moderate or severe depression at the time of their deaths. Greater awareness of mental illness and the management of the associated stigma should be central to suicide prevention initiatives. Indeed, Suicide Prevention Australia argued for the development of mental health education and awareness campaigns to reduce the prevalence of social stigma in rural and remote communities. Increased rurality was associated with more deaths from firearms and fewer deaths by jumping, while deaths by hanging and poisoning were not affected by an urban-rural gradient.