Author/Editor		Buda, Bela
Title		Suicide in central and eastern Europe: trends, causal factors, risk and protective constellations
Type		članek
Source		In: Grad-Tekavčič O, editor. Suicide risk and protective factors in the new millennium. Ljubljana: Cankarjev dom,
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 3-10
Language		eng
Abstract		Suicide in countries of former Communist Block has been a topic of interest for researchers of self-destruction for several reasons. 1. This has been a region where profound and fast social and cultural changes have taken place, and their effects on suicide seemed to have both theoretical and practical (prevention) interests. 2. The countries have had the highest and lowest rates of suicide in Europe, have had great differences in rates, not only between the countries but also within them. 3. Parts of this region have had high rates traditionally, over a long period of time, several countries have showed high rates constantly while other have reported about great fluctuations (e.g. countries and areas of the former Austrian-Hungarian monarchy). 4. Several countries (e.g. the Soviet Union, GDR or Romania) have not disclosed their statistical data concerning suicide, and it has been hoped in the scientific community that their suicidal situation might cast light to several scientific questions of doubt and debate. The international scientific interest towards suicide in this region increased after the dissolution of Commuriist rule and during the transition to democracies. Many data, formerly kept secret were made accessible, but local researeh in suicide was missing or underdeveloped, since the Communist political leadership had regarded suicide as a symptom of political discontent and had tried to repress the whole issue, even in countries where reporting to international organisations, e.g. WHO was done. In Hungary for example, the statistical reports were classified until the middle of 80s and there was also a ban to mention the issue of suicide in the media, roughly until the same time. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		SUICIDE SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS CRISIS INTERVENTION CONFLICT (PSYCHOLOGY) STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL EUROPE HUNGARY