TY - JOUR
T1 - Macro-level mental health system indicators and cross-national suicide rates
AU - Andoh-Arthur, Johnny
AU - Adjorlolo, Samuel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: The relationship between macro-level mental health system indicators and population suicide rates is an area of contention in the literature, necessitating an analysis of current cross-national data to document any new trend in the relationship. Objective: This study investigated whether mental health system indicators are associated with national suicide rates. Method: Using an ecological study design and multivariate non-parametric robust regression models, data on suicide rates and mental health system indicators of 191 countries retrieved from WHOs 2017 Mental Health Atlas were compared. Results: Findings revealed that the average suicide mortality rate was significantly higher in high- income countries, relative to low-income countries. High-income countries are significantly more likely to have high number of mental health professionals, mental health policies and legislation, independent mental health authority and suicide prevention programs. These mental health system indicators demonstrated significant and positive association with suicide, suggesting that countries scoring high on these factors have higher odds of being categorized as high suicide risk countries. Conclusion: The findings have several implications for policy and practice, including the need to make existing mental health systems very responsive to suicide prevention.
AB - Background: The relationship between macro-level mental health system indicators and population suicide rates is an area of contention in the literature, necessitating an analysis of current cross-national data to document any new trend in the relationship. Objective: This study investigated whether mental health system indicators are associated with national suicide rates. Method: Using an ecological study design and multivariate non-parametric robust regression models, data on suicide rates and mental health system indicators of 191 countries retrieved from WHOs 2017 Mental Health Atlas were compared. Results: Findings revealed that the average suicide mortality rate was significantly higher in high- income countries, relative to low-income countries. High-income countries are significantly more likely to have high number of mental health professionals, mental health policies and legislation, independent mental health authority and suicide prevention programs. These mental health system indicators demonstrated significant and positive association with suicide, suggesting that countries scoring high on these factors have higher odds of being categorized as high suicide risk countries. Conclusion: The findings have several implications for policy and practice, including the need to make existing mental health systems very responsive to suicide prevention.
KW - Suicide
KW - mental health
KW - mental health governance
KW - mental health professionals
KW - suicide prevention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099697189&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/16549716.2020.1839999
DO - 10.1080/16549716.2020.1839999
M3 - Article
C2 - 33465014
AN - SCOPUS:85099697189
SN - 1654-9880
VL - 14
JO - Global Health Action
JF - Global Health Action
IS - 1
M1 - 1839999
ER -