Suicide in Ukraine is a common cause of unnatural death and a serious social issue. In 2009, Ukraine ranked 13th in the world by its total suicide per 100,000 people.[1] Suicide is Ukraine's most common type of injury death.
Statistics
| Suicide rates (per 100,000), by gender, Ukraine, 1981-2009 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 1981 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2009 |
| Male | 40.8 | 37.7 | 34.6 | 50.2 | 52.1 | 40.9 | 37.8 |
| Female | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Total | 23.7 | 22.3 | 20.7 | 28.4 | 29.6 | 22.6 | 21.2 |
Source: World Health Organization[2] | |||||||
| Number of suicides by age group and gender. Ukraine, 2009 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 5-14 | 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75+ | All |
| Males | 34 | 906 | 1504 | 1423 | 1710 | 1020 | 862 | 532 | 7992 |
| Females | 19 | 148 | 186 | 216 | 286 | 243 | 313 | 313 | 1724 |
| Total | 53 | 1054 | 1690 | 1639 | 1996 | 1263 | 1175 | 845 | 9716 |
| Source: World Health Organization[2] | |||||||||
Suicide in Ukrainian army
Suicide was a leading cause of death in Ukrainian Army in 2012, before the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, causing 18% to 50% of all deaths, because of underfunding and neglect. Long-lasting psychogenic disorders caused by difficulties with Army lifestyle, inability to adopt to the environment and the stress of life are the primary reasons of suicides.[3]
Multicenter Study on Parasuicides did a 1-year monitoring of suicidal behavior among Ukrainian soldiers based on World Health Organization guidelines. The study revealed–[3]
- Average age of suicide attempters was 19.9 years.
- 65% of suicide attempts required hospital treatment, others needed outpatient examination.
- Frequent suicide attempt methods included–
- Hanging (54.5%)
- Cutting (27.3%)
- Jumping from high places (9.1%)
- Overdose of barbiturates or other sedative drugs (9.1%).
Notable Ukrainians who committed suicide
- Oleksandr Kovalenko, professional footballer, died via suicide by jumping from his apartment
- Vasyl Yevseyev, footballer and coach, suicide by jumping
- Mykhailo Chechetov, politician, deputy head and chief whip of Party of Regions, suicide by jumping from his apartment
Suicide prevention
The Ukrainian Government and different national and international organizations make individual attempts and initiatives to prevent suicides in Ukraine. Various associations provide help and suggestions to people who are trying to die by suicide.
| Association | Address | Way to contact | Hotline | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone of confidence "Stavropyghion-058" Lviv | PO Box 1067 1290000, LVIV | Phone | 058 | Everyday 00:00 - 23:00 |
| Odesa | 1) Face to face 2) Phone | 0487 327715, 0482 226565 | Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri: 10:00 - 08:00, Sat, Sun: 19:00 - 08:00 | |
Source: Suicide.org[4] | ||||
