Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Suicide Mortality Rate as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): A Bibliometric Analysis

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Psychiatric Quarterly Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Suicidal behaviors are a serious but potentially preventable cause of premature death. Increased awareness of the importance of mental health for global health has led to new initiatives, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). The suicide mortality rate is one of the indicators covered in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. The aim of this study is to identify the scientific production and its temporal evolution related to the suicide mortality rate indicator in the context of mental disorders and as one of the SDG. A bibliometric analysis was performed in Scopus to assess the related research on suicide mortality rate, including on the context of the third SDG, from inception to September 2, 2020. The set of articles were analyzed for bibliometric measures. A total of 3126 documents about mental health and suicide mortality rate on the context of SDG were collected. Articles were the predominant type of literature on this area (78.3%), with significant expression on the last years, more evident around 2015, the year of adoption of SDGs. Despite a large volume of evidence, the debate about suicide mortality rate as an indicator of SDG is still very sparse suggesting a need for better consensus on its evaluation methods. This study presents useful characteristics for the formulation of new studies and provides specific targets for the construction or improvement of public policies on the context of the SDGs for further discussion on this strategy proposed by the UN.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The data used to carry out the study are available through the Scopus database.

References

  1. Naghavi M. Global Burden of Disease Self-Harm Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. BMJ. 2019;364:l94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cratsley K, Mackey TK. Health policy brief: global mental health and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Fam Syst Health. 2018;36(2):225–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Atkinson J, Skinner A, Lawson K, et al. Bringing new tools, a regional focus, resource-sensitivity, local engagement and necessary discipline to mental health policy and planning. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Pathare S, Shields-Zeeman L, Vijayakumar L, Pandit D, Nardodkar R, Chatterjee S, et al. Evaluation of the SPIRIT Integrated Suicide Prevention Programme: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial in rural Gujarat. India Trials. 2020;21:572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organization. Mental health action plan 2013-2020. 2013. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/89966. Accessed on 13 Aug 2020.

  6. Droogers M, Jansen D, Lindert J, Saboga-Nunes L, Rudén M, Guichardon M, et al. Health-related Sustainable Development Goals: countdown on alcohol use, smoking prevalence, child overweight and suicide mortality. Eur J Pub Health. 2020;30(Supplement_1):i10–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Arensman E, Scott V, De Leo D, Pirkis J. Suicide and Suicide Prevention From a Global Perspective. Crisis. 2020;41(Suppl 1):S3–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bachmann S. Epidemiology of Suicide and the Psychiatric Perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(7):1425 Published 2018 Jul 6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bertolote JM. Suicide in the world: an epidemiological overview, 1959-2000. In: Wasserman D, editor. Suicide - an unnecessary death. London: Dunitz; 2001. p. 3–10.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. WHO Mental Health Prevention of Suicidal Behaviours: A Task for All; Available online: http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/background (Accessed on 14 August 2020).

  11. Keynejad RC, Dua T, Barbui C, Thornicroft G. WHO mental health gap action Programme (mhGAP) intervention guide: a systematic review of evidence from low and middle-income countries. Evid Based Ment Health. 2018;21(1):30–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bjegovic-Mikanovic V, et al. A gap analysis of SDG 3 and MDG 4/5mortality health targets in the six Arabic countries of North Africa: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. Libyan J Med. 2019;14(1):1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Marmot M, Bell R. The Sustainable Development Goals and Health Equity. Epidemiol. 2018;29(1):5–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hsu CY, Chang SS, Yip PSF. Subjective wellbeing, suicide and socioeconomic factors: an ecological analysis in Hong Kong. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2019;28(1):112–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. WHO indicator definition http://apps.who.int/gho/indicatorregistry/App_Main/view_indicator.aspx?iid=4664. Accessed 13 Aug 2020.

  16. WHO methods and data sources for global causes of death, 2000–2015 http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GlobalCOD_method_2000_2015.pdf. Accessed 13 Aug 2020.

  17. World Health Assembly Resolution WHA66.8 - 2013: Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2020, including Appendix 1: Indicators for Measuring Progress Towards Defined Targets of the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020 http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_R8-en.pdf?ua=1. Accessed 13 Aug 2020.

  18. United Nations UN. The sustainable development goals report 2020. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2020.pdf. Accessed 13 Aug 2020.

  19. Wilczynski NL, McKibbon KA, Haynes RB. Enhancing retrieval of best evidence for health care from bibliographic databases: calibration of the hand search of the literature. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2001;84(Pt 1):390–3.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Van Eck NJ, Waltman L. Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics. 2010;84(2):523–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Moghul M, Mahendran S., Lakshmi P, Arunachalam H, Suryakala S, Sudhagar R. Directions in Self Consolidating Concrete Research – Mapping using VOSviewer. 2015. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1643.0247.

  22. Fiandaca S. La durata attuale della vita umana. Sua influenza sull‘ assicurazione sulla vita. Prevenzione della vecciaia. Acta Med Scand. 1953;145:292–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Chun-Yuh Y, Yu-Tung H, Hui-Fen C. Does ambient ozone air pollution trigger suicide attempts? A case cross-over analysis in Taipei. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2019;82:10:638–44.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Vaz E, Shaker RR, Cusimano MD. A geographical exploration of environmental and land use characteristics of suicide in the greater Toronto area. Psychiatry Res. 2020;287:112790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112790.

  25. Wang P, Goggins WB, Zhang X, Ren C, Lau KK. Association of urban built environment and socioeconomic factors with suicide mortality in high-density cities: a case study of Hong Kong. The Science of the Total Environment. 2020; 739:139877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139877.

  26. Lars Mehlum MD. Young male suicide attempters 20 years later: the suicide mortality rate. Mil Med. 1994;159(2):138–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jukkala T, Stickley A, Mäkinen IH, Baburin A, Sparén P. Age, period and cohort effects on suicide mortality in Russia, 1956–2005. BMC Public Health. 2017;17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4158-2.

  28. Pollock NJ, Apok C, Concepcion T, Delgado RA, Rasmus S, Chatwood S, et al. Global goals and suicide prevention in the circumpolar north. Indian J Psychiatry. 2020;62(1):7–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bennett JE, Stevens GA, Mathers CD, Bonita R, Rehm J, Kruk ME, et al. NCD Countdown 2030: worldwide trends in non-communicable disease mortality and progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4. Lancet. 2018;392(10152):1072–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Misra S, Stevenson A, Haroz EE, de Menil V, Koenen KC. ‘Global mental health’: systematic review of the term and its implicit priorities. BJPsych Open. 2019;5(3):e47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Zhang X, Chen N, Sheng H, Ip C, Yang L, Chen Y, et al. Urban drought challenge to 2030 sustainable development goals. Sci Total Environ. 2019;693:133536.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Minas H, Izutsu T, Tsutsumi A, Kakuma R, Lopez AD. Asia-pacific ready to act on mental health target in the SDGs. Lancet Psychiatry. 2015;2(3):199–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Agampodi TC, Wickramasinghe ND, Prasanna RIR, Irangani MKL, Banda JMS, Jayathilake PMB, et al. The Rajarata pregnancy cohort (RaPCo): study protocol. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020;20:374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Lee G, Kim J. Association between suicidal ideation and causes of primary care visits: a cross-sectional study to identify patients with suspected suicidal ideation. Psychiatry Investig. 2020;17(7):667–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Adewuya AO, Ola BA, Coker O, Atilola O, Fasawe A, Ajomale T. A stepped care intervention for non-specialist health workers’ management of depression in the mental health in primary care (MeHPriC) project, lagos, nigeria: A cluster randomised controlled trial. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2019;60:76–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Carmel A, Ries R, West I, Bumgardner K, Roy-Byrne P. Suicide risk and associated demographic and clinical correlates among primary care patients with recent drug use. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2016;42(3):351–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lake CR, Baumer J. Academic psychiatry's responsibility for increasing the recognition of mood disorders and risk for suicide in primary care. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2010;23(2):157–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Ramalho A, Castro P, Gonçalves-Pinho M, Teixeira J, Santos JV, Viana J, et al. Primary health care quality indicators: an umbrella review. PLoS One. 2019;14(8):e0220888. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220888.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Suicide Collaborators. Gender differentials and state variations in suicide deaths in India: the global burden of disease study 1990–2016. Lancet. 2018;392(10153):1138–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Project “1st.IndiQare - Quality indicators in primary health care: validation and implementation of quality indicators as an assessment and comparison tool”, financed by FEDER - European Fund Regional Development Funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), and by Portuguese funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, for the support to carry out this study (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030766).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Edifício Nascente – 2nd Floor -, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Bruno Filipe Coelho da Costa

  2. Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Edifício Nascente – 2nd Floor -, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    André Ramalho, Manuel Gonçalves-Pinho & Alberto Freitas

  3. 2D4H–Secondary Data for Healthcare Research, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Edifício Nascente – 2nd Floor -, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    André Ramalho, Manuel Gonçalves-Pinho & Alberto Freitas

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa, Penafiel, Portugal

    Manuel Gonçalves-Pinho

Authors
  1. Bruno Filipe Coelho da Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. André Ramalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Manuel Gonçalves-Pinho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alberto Freitas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Bruno Filipe Coelho da Costa, André Ramalho, Manuel Gonçalves-Pinho and Alberto Freitas. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bruno Filipe Coelho da Costa and André Ramalho and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Supervision: André Ramalho, Alberto Freitas. The authors are responsible for correctness of the statements provided in the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to André Ramalho.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethics Approval

Not Applicable.

Consent to Participate

Not Applicable.

Consent for Publication

Not Applicable.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

da Costa, B.F.C., Ramalho, A., Gonçalves-Pinho, M. et al. Suicide Mortality Rate as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): A Bibliometric Analysis. Psychiatr Q 93, 15–26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-020-09858-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-020-09858-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation