Suicide among young Middle Eastern Muslim females: The perspective of an Iranian epidemiologist

Background: Recent epidemiological studies highlight that within Muslim-dominated Middle Eastern countries suicide rates are high or are increasing among young females. This paper discusses the most important reasons behind this trend. Methods: The literature review started using the PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) search engine, applying four keywords: suicide, young females, Middle East, and Muslim. The search strategy was complemented by hand-searching selected journals or by looking at the reference list of the retrieved papers. Results: All retrieved papers confirm a higher rate of suicide or attempted suicide among young Muslim females in the Middle East. Furthermore, the method chosen for suicide, psychiatric disorders, marriage, and masculine role are among the most important interrelated reasons that increase the likelihood of a young female being a victim of suicide. Conclusions: Higher suicide rates among young Middle Eastern Muslim females must be considered an important issue, and their root causes should be dealt with properly and without delay.