Pages 280-287 in P. Bjerregaard et al., eds. Part I, Proceedings of the 11th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Harstad, Norway, June 5-9, 2000. International Journal of Circumpolar Health. 2001;60(2)
National Institute of Public Health, Section for Research in Greenland, Copenhagen Ã?, Denmark. markusleineweber@hotmail.com
Source
Pages 280-287 in P. Bjerregaard et al., eds. Part I, Proceedings of the 11th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Harstad, Norway, June 5-9, 2000. International Journal of Circumpolar Health. 2001;60(2)
In Greenland, the rapid socio-cultural change of the last 50 years has been paralleled by an increasing number of suicides. The suicide rates in Greenland are now among the highest in the world. Especially among men aged 15-24 suicide rates are dramatically high. In the present study, information on the psycho-social background of suicides is provided based on a review of death certificates and police reports for the period 1993-95. Dysfunctional social networks seem to play a predominant role among suicides. Being disconnected from community and family ties seems to increase the vulnerability of young people in Greenland. In addition, temporal trends of suicide rates are described for the different regions of Greenland. The findings are discussed in relation to the societal and cultural transition of the society.