Sex- and age-specific burden of self-harm and suicide mortality: A national and subnational study in Iran

TL;DR

This study examines trends in self-harm and suicide mortality in Iran from 1990 to 2021, finding declines despite challenges like war and economic issues.

Contribution

The study provides subnational and sex-specific insights into self-harm and suicide mortality trends in Iran over three decades.

Findings

Self-harm prevalence in Iran decreased from 173.92 to 131.2 per 100,000 between 1990 and 2021.

Males had higher self-harm rates than females in 2021.

Suicide mortality rates declined despite demographic and economic challenges.

Abstract

This study focuses on the national and subnational estimation of prevalence, incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to self-harm and suicide mortality in Iran. These indicators of disease burden were analyzed over the period from 1990 to 2021, with stratifications based on sex, age and geographic location. Additionally, the percentage change observed between 1990 and 2021 was documented. The age-standardized prevalence rate (per 100,000) of self-harm decreased from 173.92 (95% UI: 146.13–208.75) in 1990 to 131.2 (95% UI: 110.55–156.67) in 2021, reflecting a percentage change of −0.25% over the period. In terms of self-harm prevalence in 2021, males had a higher rate (137.62 per 100,000) compared to females (124.82 per 100,000). The findings of the current study revealed that, despite significant challenges such as demographic shifts, economic instability and the impacts of war, the trends in self-harm incidents and suicide mortality rates in Iran have generally been on the decline. Additionally, it was observed that suicide-related deaths were more prevalent among males when compared to females. However, when examining self-harm behaviors over previous decades, these acts appeared to be more frequent among females.

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