(ORDO NEWS) — A new study confirms that the global prevalence of suicide tends to rise with increasing latitude. This can be partly explained by differences in exposure to sunlight.
A team of medical and neuroscientists led by Professor Yoon Hak Kim of Busan National University (South Korea) conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to find out how sunlight exposure affects suicide rates.
Despite the improvement in living standards and the development of medicine, since 1990 the total number of suicides in the world has increased from 738,799 to 758,696 (in 2019).
Growth is most dramatic in lower-middle-income countries. The top ten countries in terms of the total number of suicides – not per 100 thousand of the population, but in general – are India (220,481 people in 2021), China (138,482), the United States of America (more than 50 thousand), Japan (23,532), Nigeria (18,608), South Korea (13,765), Brazil (13,616), France (11,503) and Germany (11,305).
Suicide and intentional self-mutilation have a negative impact not only on the person who decides to do so, but also on his family and environment.
In addition, such cases lead to loss of productivity, a drop in the quality of life and a sharp increase in medical costs. So, in 2019, the losses associated with suicide reached $490 billion.
“As latitude increases, the cumulative impact of sunlight decreases. Reducing exposure to sunlight can exacerbate disorders such as depression, which can lead to suicide.
Therefore, we sought to establish the prevalence of suicide depending on the latitude, ”Korean scientists said.
They analyzed 20 cross-sectional studies covering between 40,694 and 74,652,466 participants and published from 1982 to 2020. The overall weighted average prevalence of suicides was 13.34.
If we take the number of suicides by latitude, then their weighted average prevalence for 0-14° was 8.12, for 15-29° – 8.54, for 30-44° – 9.97, for 45-59° – 19.23 and for 60–75° – 15.28.
According to the authors of the work, for every 1° increase in the prevalence of suicides increased by 0.255 per 100 thousand people.
The male suicide prevalence was 11.93 for 0-14°, 15.04 for 15-29°, 13.38 for 30-44°, 33.43 for 45-59° and 16.64 for 60-75°.
In the case of women, the situation was better (although suicidal thoughts and behavior were noted more often): the suicide prevalence rate was 4.20 for 0–14°, 3.94 for 15–29°, 3.95 for 30–44°, 7 .17 for 45–59° and 6.29 for at 60–75°.
In countries where weapons are allowed, the prevalence of suicide was lower – 15.40 versus 16.46 in states that control the circulation of weapons.
In addition, the prevalence of suicide depended on age: this figure was 1.43 in adolescents under 14 years of age, 3.25 in people aged 15-24 years, 4.95 in 25-34 years, 5.84 in 35-44 years, 7 .37 at 45-54 years old, 9.39 at 55-64 years old and 15.97 at 65-74 years old.
People from upper-middle-income countries (prevalence of 22.68) chose to commit suicide more often than those from lower-middle-income countries (13.68) or high-income countries (12.72).
“Global suicide prevalence tends to increase with latitude, eg 8.12, 8.54, 9.97, 19.23 (60-75° with 15.28 being the exception).
Previously, the neurotransmitter serotonin was suggested as a possible explanation: low exposure to sunlight reduces the binding of serotonin in blood platelets and in the brain, and this condition can increase impulsive aggressive traits and disorders like depression, ”summed up the authors of the work.
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