An estimated 7,422 people over 15
years of age in Italy committed suicide in 2020 and 2021,
according to figures released by the Higher Health Institute
(ISS) released on Tuesday, World Suicide Prevention Day.
A reported 78.5% of those who committed suicide over the
two-year period were men and retirement was a critical event,
according to ISS.
Historically, suicide rates among men and women tend to grow
with age, explained Monica Vichi, who works for the statistics
office of Italy's Higher Health Institute.
"For men, an exponential rise of the rate is clear starting from
70-74 years, which coincides or just follows the age of
retirement that has moved forward compared to the past", she
said.
Retirement is a particularly critical event for men as it leads
to a reduced social role and a smaller network of acquaintances.
Meanwhile, for women, "we have observed a small rise" in suicide
cases at a young age, she reported.
Overall, Italy has an average of 5.9 deaths by suicide every
100,000 residents which is much lower than the European average
of 10.2, the expert concluded.
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