Attempted Suicide in Bern, Switzerland 1989 and 1990 (IN: Attempted Suicide in Europe: Findings From the Multicentre Study on Parasuicide…, edited by A J F M Kerkhof et al)

This chapter reports data for 2 years noting a 1990 decrease. Other sources confirmed a true drop in the numbers of attempters. During the 24 months a total of 666 attempts were recorded involving 629 persons. The data is estimated to represent 90% of all suicides reported to medical institutions. Attempters rarely turn to general practioners. Although Swiss rates of completed suicides are very high, this study shows lower than average parasuicide rates compared with other European centers.