Relationship between economic development and suicide mortality: a global cross-sectional analysis in an epidemiological transition perspective

Aim. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between suicide rates and economic development within the theoretical framework of epidemiological transition. . A weak positive correlation was found between suicide rates and GNP per capita in both sexes for all ages. sion. According to previous studies, there is a clear decline in deaths due to unintentional injuries with improved economic conditions. This example of a man-made disease that declines during the fourth stage is in agreement with the theory of epidemiological transition. However, our results found the opposite pattern for deaths due to intentional self-inflicted injury. sion. Mortality rates due to unintentional and intentional self-inflicted injury show deviating patterns from an epidemiological transition perspective.