Dynamics of suicidal frequency changes on the railways in Poland - an attempt of epidemiological analyzes
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1
Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Collegium Medicum Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Kraków, Polska
2
Katedra Nauk Społecznych, Uniwersytet Medyczny, Poznań, Polska
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Katedra Psychiatrii UJ CM, Klinika Psychiatrii Dorosłych
Submission date: 2020-06-14
Final revision date: 2020-07-27
Acceptance date: 2020-07-28
Online publication date: 2022-04-30
Publication date: 2022-04-30
Psychiatr Pol 2022;56(2):373-389
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ABSTRACT
Objectives:
The analysis presented in the article is the first study of suicide on railway tracks in Poland.
Methods:
An epidemiological assessment was conducted, study type: case series,
population-based with use of the data from the National Police Headquarters. The rates of railway
suicides in Poland in the years 2007-2018 were compared to the overall number of suicides in Poland
and in the EU.
Results:
In 2007-2018, the average share of deaths by railway suicide in the overall
number of suicides committed in Poland amounted to 2.06%. Between the years: 1999 -2018 there is
a growing number of railway suicide attempts and railway suicide attempts without deaths. Since
2012, an increase of suicide attempts on railway tracks, along with a constant number of suicide
deaths, has been observed. In 2017 - 2018, throwing oneself under a train to end one’s life was the
third most commonly chosen method in Poland. Although it accounted for only a small percentage of
all methods of suicide, it was chosen relatively more often than in other European countries.
Conclusions:
Poland belongs to a small group of European countries where the number of deaths by
suicide has displayed an upward tendency in the course of 20 years. There is a growing number of
unsuccessful railway suicide attempts. The index of deaths on railway tracks in Poland, was
considerably higher than the average index for the EU.