Association Between the Accessibility to Lethal Methods and Method-Specific Suicide Rates: an Ecological Study in Taiwan

Age-adjusted & age-specific suicide rates of 23 cities/counties in Taiwan for 1999-2003 were calculated. Partial correlation coefficients were used to examine cross-sectional associations between independent variables, e.g. proportion of agricultural population, proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above, & suicide rates by method, after adjusting for unemployment rates & prevalence of depression. Results showed strong positive associations between access to lethal methods & method-specific suicide rates. Controlling the availability of pesticides & fencing high buildings or installing window guards may be effective measures for suicide prevention. (36 refs.)