The nation's suicide rate is no higher than those in other Asian countries, a Department of Health official said Wednesday.
Hsieh Juei-yuan (薛瑞元), director of the Bureau of Medical Affairs, made the remarks as media reported 11 suicide deaths Tuesday alone.
Hsieh said that the number of urban residents and youngsters taking their own lives has shown an increase, but he added that the ratio is not particularly high when compared with other countries in the region.
Citing the suicide figures per 100,000 people in Taiwan in 1997 and 2000, respectively, he said that number was 10 people in 1997, but increased to 13.6 in 2000.
Japan's figure increased from 18.8 to 23.8, South Korea increased from 14.1 to 19.1 and Hong Kong increased from 12.1 to 16.3, although Singapore showed a decline from 9.7 to 9.5.
Hsieh said that 2002 statistics show that suicide ranked sixth in the top causes of death in Japan, while it was seventh in South Korea and ninth in this country.
Except in Singapore, there seems to be a trend of rising suicide rates in Southeast Asian countries, with an overall average increase of roughly 30 percent, Hsieh said, adding that the ratio in Taiwan is therefore not unusually high.
Hsieh also said that in terms of age group, those aged between 15 and 49 reported a higher increase in suicide rates. The suicide rate among the elderly is traditionally high, but the ratio of elderly taking their own lives declined after 2001.
In terms of methods used, a plurality took their own lives by hanging, accounting for 42.7 percent, followed by overdose, representing 26.6 percent.
Noting that some have said that the 921 earthquake was one of the major factors that caused the rising suicide rate, he said that in 2002, the suicide increase rate in Taipei and Kaohsiung was roughly the same as other areas of Taiwan, although the rate in Nantou County declined.
This, he went on, shows that the massive earthquake, which wrought havoc in central Taiwan, killing more than 2,300, led to a short-term higher ratio of suicide, but the trend did not last.
Overall, the suicide rate in urban areas has increased in recent years, showing that pressure may be one of the factors, although Hsieh cautioned that there are multiple reasons for taking one's life that cannot be explained by any one single factor.
Officials said there were 3,053 deaths resulting from suicide in 2002, averaging eight people daily.
Though the reasons are unclear, they said that late spring and early summer and late autumn and early winter are the peak suicide periods.
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