Suicide Rates in Nordic Prisons 2000–2016

• Published in: Archives of Suicide Research
• Main Authors: Morthorst, Britt Reuter, Mehlum, Lars, Pàlsson, Sigurdur P., Mühlmann, Charlotte, Hammerlin, Yngve, Madsen, Trine, Nordentoft, Merete, Erlangsen, Annette
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/suicide-rates-in-nordic-prisons-20002016(1fcde1e6-f890-499c-a192-54a2afe03628).html; https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2020.1746943

Objective: To compare suicide rates of people in prison and the general population in the Nordic countries. Methods: Data on deaths by suicide and person-years for people in prison and the general population were obtained for the Nordic countries during 2000–2016. Age-standardized rate ratios were calculated. Results: The suicide rate in the Nordic countries overall was 110.1 (95% CI = 98.1, 122.2) per 100,000 person-years for people in prison. A significant decline was noted for the suicide rate of people in prison between 2000 and 2016 (p< 0.0001). The age-standardized mortality ratio was 7.4 (95% CI = 5.9–8.2) for males and 17.8 (95% CI = 7.3–33.2) for females in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. Conclusion: Despite a decreasing trend over time, excess suicide mortality was noted for people in prison.