Suicide mortality in Bangladesh: a comparative analysis of the incidence of suicide in 2002 and 2015 from Bangladesh Health and Injury surveys

Suicide ranks as the 17th highest cause of death worldwide, making it an ongoing public health concern. To comprehend Bangladesh’s current mental health situation, it is essential to compare the country’s suicide death rates across time. The current study compares the changes in the suicide mortality rates in Bangladesh over 13 years from 2002 to 2015. This is a cross-sectional independent-sample design comparison using two distinct nationally representative datasets. In Bangladesh, two community-based nationally representative surveys, namely the Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS), were conducted in 2003 and 2016. Both surveys adopted a similar approach. To get the intended sample, a multistage cluster sampling approach was applied in both surveys, while considering the probability-proportional-to-size technique. The population’s causes of morbidity and mortality data were collected using a three-year recall period and compared with suicide occurring in 2002 and 2015 using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. The cause of death was determined by the verbal autopsy procedure. The suicide rates in 2002 were 6.2 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 4.7–8.1); whereas in 2015, it was 7.7 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 5.1–11.6). A major shift in suicide trends among the age group was observed between 2002 and 2015. Results showed that those aged 60 years and above had the highest suicide rates in 2002 (rate: 13 per 100,000; 95% CI: 2.6–23.4) and in 2015, adolescents had the highest suicide rates (rate: 22.9 per 100,000; 95% CI: 13.6–38.7). Moreover, in 2015, females had a higher suicide rate compared to males, but in 2002, both sexes showed similar death rates. In both years, the death tolls were higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas. The suicide rates have been increasing over the past decade, which is alarming for the nation. Extensive research is needed now to explore the factors affecting the increasing suicide rates among adolescents and females.