The Geographical Pattern of Methods of Suicide in Belgium: Implications for Prevention

The geographical variation of reported suicide among the 43 Belgian districts was analysed for each method of suicide in both genders & in two time periods: 1968-72 & 1978-81. Different descriptive methods were used to assess the patterns & changes in method-specific indirectly standardized death rates. It appeared that the overall suicide pattern was not always a good reflection of the method-specific patterns. Moreover, these seemed consistent in time & between genders. Drowning was much more concentrated in the west of the country & jumping was especially frequent in Brussels. Possible explanations & the relevance of these findings for prevention are discussed. (20 refs.)