Global prevalence of suicide by latitude: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prevalence of suicide attempts across the African continent: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Over 700,000 people worldwide lose their lives through suicide every year. The prevalence of suicide has increased, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as many African countries. For every fatal suicidal attempt, there are approximately 20 other non-fatal suicide attempts within the population. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of attempts of suicides in the African continent through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

To identify relevant sources, the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar repositories and databases were systematically searched without a lower time limit and until July 2023. The heterogeneity of the studies was checked with the I2 index, and accordingly random effects model was adopted to perform the analysis. Data analysis was conducted within the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (v.2).

RESULTS

In the review of 48 studies with a sample size of 244,701 people, the prevalence of suicide attempts in Africa was found to be 9.9% (95%CI: 8.5%-11.6%). With the increase in the year of study, the prevalence of suicide attempt in the African continent increases. Also, with the increase in the sample size, the prevalence of suicide attempts in Africa decreases. The suicide attempt prevalence among African men and woman slightly differed with 7.6% and 8.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Suicide attempt is an important public health concern in Africa. The findings of this study are important not only for African health policy making, but also to contribute to the accuracy of global estimates with respect to suicide attempts.

Folate and Its Significance in Depressive Disorders and Suicidality: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

Depressive disorders pose significant challenges to global public health, necessitating effective prevention and management strategies. Notably, the occurrence of suicide frequently coincides with depressive episodes. Suicide is as a paramount global health concern that demands efficacious preventive strategies. Current psychiatric approaches heavily rely on pharmacological interventions but have had limited success in addressing the global burden of mental health issues. Suboptimal nutrition, with its impact on the neuroendocrine system, has been implicated in the underlying pathology of depressive disorders. Folate, a group of water-soluble compounds, plays a crucial role in various central nervous system functions. Depressed individuals often exhibit low levels of serum and red blood cell folate. Multiple studies and systematic reviews have investigated the efficacy of folic acid and its derivative, L-methylfolate, which can cross the blood-brain barrier, as stand-alone or adjunct therapies for depression. Although findings have been mixed, the available evidence generally supports the use of these compounds in depressed individuals. Recent studies have established links between the one-carbon cycle, folate-homocysteine balance, immune system function, glutamate excitation via NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, and gut microbiome eubiosis in mood regulation. These findings provide insights into the complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of folate and related compounds in depression. Through a comprehensive review of the existing literature, this study aims to advance our understanding of the therapeutic potential of folic acid and related compounds in depression treatment. It also seeks to explore their role in addressing suicidal tendencies and shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms involved, leveraging the latest discoveries in depression research.

The association between nation-level social and economic indices and suicide rates: A pilot study

Ever since the pioneering work of Emile Durkheim, it has been known that regional or national suicide rates can be influenced by a variety of social and economic factors. Recent research has found a robust association between two country-level economic indices-gross national product and unemployment rate-and suicide rates, particularly in men. However, the association between other country-level social indices-such as measures of social integration, inequality, environmental preservation and political freedom-and suicide rates has not been studied at the cross-national level. In the current study, national suicide rates for men and women were examined in relation to seven indices measuring subjective wellbeing, sustainable development, type of political regime, economic and gender inequality, and social capital. It was found that the Happy Planet Index, a composite measure of subjective wellbeing and sustainable development, was negatively associated with suicide rates independent of gender, and even after adjusting for possible confounding factors. Economic inequality was associated with suicide in men, and social capital was associated with suicide in women. Moreover, the strength and direction of the associations observed between socioeconomic indices and suicide varied across income groups. These results highlight the need for a closer evaluation of the link between large-scale ("macro") social factors and individual ("micro") psychological factors, as well as the importance of integrating these factors into suicide prevention programmes at the national level.