Suicide in Lithuania

Abstract

The data on the rate of the suicide in the periods of 1924–1939 and 1962–1993 are presented from the Statistics Annals and the Archives of the Statistics Department of Lithuania. In pre-war independent Lithuania (1924-1939) the suicide rate was 5-10 suicides per 100,000 citizens. During the Soviet occupation period it was constantly increasing until it reached 35.8 per 100,000 in the year of 1984. The changes towards a more democratic society resulted in a diminished suicide rate (to 25.1 per 100,000 in 1986); the same processes were taking place in other countries of the former Eastern block. In the period of the present economic hardships the rate of suicide in Lithuania has increased up to 42.0 per 100,000 (in 1993). Obvious increase in the rate of suicides among men and people of advanced age is observed. The article draws a comparison between the suicide notes of Lithuania and other European countries. The dependence of the suicide rate on socio-political changes, secularisation and anomie is also discussed in this article.