Évolution du suicide au Québec

Abstract

Après la hausse observée au cours des années 1990, de récentes constatations suggèrent que les taux de suicide ont commencé à diminuer. La présente analyse tente d’identifier les années où se sont produits des changements significatifs dans la tendance de la mortalité par suicide au Québec au cours de la période 1981 à 2005 selon l’âge, le sexe et le milieu géographique. Un modèle de régression Joinpoint a été utilisé pour évaluer les changements dans la tendance. Nos résultats montrent que les taux de suicide se sont infléchis à la fin des années 1990. Depuis, les taux de suicide diminuent, plus rapidement chez les hommes, plus spécialement ceux âgés de 15 à 34 ans. Cette baisse s’observe plus particulièrement dans la région métropolitaine de recensement de Montréal, alors que pour le monde rural, les changements sont moins évidents. D’autres recherches sont nécessaires pour identifier les facteurs associés à cette baisse.After an upward suicide trend over the 1990s, recent observations suggest that the rate of suicide is currently declining in the province of Quebec. The present study assesses whether or not significant changes occurred in suicide over the period 1981-2005 according to age group, sex and geography. We used Joinpoint regression model to test time trends in suicide rates. Our results confirm that suicide rates changed significantly towards the end of the 1990s. Since then, suicide rates have been declining in Quebec, more rapidly in men, especially amongst males aged 15-34. The recent decline was more significant in the Montreal census metropolitan area while no important change was noticed for rural and small town area. Further examinations are recommended to identify factors associated with the decline

Firearms regulation and declining rates of male suicide in Quebec

“…Since 2000, suicide rates in Quebec have declined strikingly, particularly among teenagers and young adult men 2. Similar findings have been observed in other countries (Australia,3 New Zealand,4 Scotland5 and England),6 although in each the reasons for the decline are still unclear.…”

“…Firearms remain the most lethal methods of suicide 8. Decreasing the availability of firearms was thus seen as a plausible, albeit insufficient, explanation for the reduction in suicide rates in Quebec 2. Based on Quebec suicide data, this assumption has been challenged.…”

Spatial analysis of suicide mortality in Québec: Spatial clustering and area factor correlates

“…In 2010, the suicide rates in Quebec reached 21.1 per 100,000 and 6.4 per 100,000 for males and females respectively (Légaré et al, 2013). In Quebec, existing studies have focused on socio-economic inequalities in suicide (Burrows et al, 2010) and on temporal trends of suicide mortality (Caron et al, 2008;Gagné and St-Laurent, 2008;Légaré et al, 2013). The few authors examining the method used to commit suicide have only studied firearms (Caron, 2004;Caron and Grenier, 1995).…”

The Quebec Convergence and Canadian Life Satisfaction, 1985–2008

“…xxxix, no. 2 2013 data show, most notably, a dramatic rise in completed male suicides in Quebec during the Quiet Revolution and, since 2000, a sharp decrease in this rate (see also Cormier and Klerman 1985;Gagné and St-Laurent 2008). While suicide rates for females are lower and have a less dramatic rise in both provinces, it should be noted that the pattern across genders for attempted suicides is typically quite different than for successful ones.…”