A report published this week shows a mixed picture regarding suicide in Switzerland. On one hand, the number of suicides is declining. On the other, the number of people with suicidal thought is rising rapidly, particularly among young people, women in particular.
In 2022, 958 people took their own lives, a rate of around 11 per 100,000. In 1998, the rate was around 21 per 100,000. In 2022, men (16.2 per 100,000) took their own lives at 2.8 times the rate of women (5.8 per 100,000), a long seen difference.
However, behind the falling rate of suicide there is a negative trend. The number of people among some age groups having suicidal thoughts has risen sharply.
Overall, 8.4% of those aged 15 or over reported having suicidal thoughts in 2022. 8.4% is roughly 1 in 12. At an aggregate level men (8.2%) and women (8.5%) were similar. However, in the detail there are significant differences. One group that jumps out is women aged between 15 and 19. The rates of suicidal thoughts among this age group has leapt from 9.7% in 2017 to 23.1% in 2022, while rates for both men and women across all other age groups changed relatively little.
Why?
An emergency psychiatrist in Zurich told SRF that he thinks the increasing range of life options offered by modern society is overwhelming young people, especially young women. Life demands have become more complex. In addition, mobile phones and social media are affecting sleep and self image, something affecting young women more. Young people are now more exposed to bullying and compare themselves more. This can cause chronic stress, which can lead to poor mental health.
Other factors that correlate with higher rates of suicidal thinking include not working. 8.3% of those working, 12.3% of those retired and 14.4% of those unemployed experience suicidal thoughts.
Low levels of education also increase the risk. 6.4% with a degree, 8.4% with an intermediate level of education and 9.1% of those with the lowest educational level have suicidal thoughts.
Poverty and life as a solo parent also correlate strongly. 17.1% of those with the tightest finances experience suicidal thoughts and 12.5% of solo parents do. Among couples with no children the rate is 5.9%.
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