Citation

Mäkinen IH, Beskow J, Jansson A, Oden B. Arch. Suicide Res. 2002; 6(3): 269-284.

Affiliation

Stockholm Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, University College of South Stockholm; Swedish National and Stockholm County Council Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention; Department of Economic History, Stockholm University; Department of His

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13811110214138

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The suicide panorama is not static but continually changing with the development of society. In this article changes in suicide rates and attitudes towards suicide in Sweden from pre-modern to modern time are described, with suicidal murders as an interesting transitional form. The rates of homicide have decreased, while those of suicide have increased. Changes in attitudes towards suicide have reached different groups in society at different times, leading to very heterogeneous suicide patterns. With increasing social homogeneity there now seems to exist a tendency back towards larger homogeneity of suicide as well. In order to develop suicide prevention into a vital branch of public-health services humanistic, linguistic and social research in suicidology must be encouraged.