Suicide rate: Trends and implications in Upper Egypt

Suicide is an important problem, ranking among the top 10 causes of death for individuals in all ages in developed countries. The present study is a retrospective study evaluating suicide cases in Assiut, one of the largest province in Egypt from 2005 to 2009. There were 117 cases of which involved 68 male victims (58.11%) and involved 49 females (48.11%). Suicide rates ranged from (0.6 to 0.8 per 100,000). Age predominance was 20–⩽30 years. The method of suicide was different between male and female victims, as male victims tried to use more violent methods than females. Conclusion: the present study showed that suicide rates have increased since 1987, indicating a grave problem that needs to be solved.