Suicide in Greenland

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Suicide rate (age-standardized, per 100,000 population) in the world as of 2010
  •   > 30
  •   20 – 30
  •   15 – 20
  •   10 – 15
  •   5 – 10
  •   0 – 5
  •   Data unavailable

Suicide in Greenland, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, is a significant national social issue. Greenland has the highest suicide rate in the world: reports between 1985 and 2012 showed that an average of 83 people in 100,000 died by suicide yearly. [1]

Contents

Greenland is culturally and geographically isolated as well as one of the coldest (with the least sunshine hours) and least populous nations in the world. Although factors such as these have been known to contribute to suicide-related issues, it remains unclear if they have a direct influence on Greenlandic suicides or to what degree. A host of different initiatives have been taken, however, to reduce the suicide rate in the country, including even roadside posters, [2] and a national suicide prevention strategy has been initiated entailing courses, general education, outreach in local communities, and involving professionals such as teachers, social workers, and doctors. [3]

History

The rate of suicide in Greenland began to rise in the 1970s and kept increasing until 1986. In 1986, suicide became the leading cause of death for young people in several towns, such as Sarfannguit. [2] In 1970, the rate of suicide in Greenland was historically very low, but by 1990–1994, it had become one of the highest in the world with 107 per 100,000 persons dying by suicide per year. [4] A similarly precipitous rise in suicide rates to a very high elevation has been observed among the Inuit in Canada. [5] [6] Greenland Government data reported in 2010 suggest that almost one suicide occurred a week. [7]

Incidence and variance

According to suicide data published by Statistics Greenland, suicide accounts for 8% of total deaths in Greenland and is the leading cause of death among young men aged 15–29. [8]

An article published in the journal, BMC Psychiatry , in 2009 reported that a total of 1,351 suicides took place in Greenland during a study period of 35 years, from 1968 to 2002. The study noted a significant variation of the suicide rate in relation to the season, characterized by peaks in June and troughs in the winter. [4] The clustering of suicides in summer months was most pronounced in areas north of the Arctic Circle. [4] Regional variations were also observed with suicide rates in northern parts of west Greenland being higher than in southern parts. [9]

Suicide rates are higher for men than women. Among those who die by suicide, the greater part are young men between the ages of 15 and 24. Unlike in other Western countries, the suicide rate in Greenland decreases with age. [9]

Methods of suicide in Greenland (based on a study of 1286 cases)

  Hanging (46%)
  Shooting (37%)
  Jumping from heights (2%)
  Cutting with sharp objects (1%)
  Drowning (4%)
  Poisoning (5%)
  Unspecified (1%)
  Other (4%)

Reasons

Several reasons are blamed for Greenland's high rate of suicide, including alcoholism, depression, poverty, conflict-ridden relationship with spouse, and dysfunctional parental homes. According to a report published in 2009, the suicide rate in Greenland increases during the summer. Researchers have blamed insomnia caused by incessant daylight. [10]

Culture clash between the traditional Inuit culture and modern Western culture is also assumed to be a contributing factor. [11] During the 1970s to late 1980s Greenland experienced a rapid period of urbanisation, with many Greenlandic villages being cut off from support and funding, with the Danish government encouraging migration towards the cities. The new immigrants who had lived in a traditional Inuit hunter gift societies were generally isolated inside cities with no social support, many of them suffered from extreme mental health issues in the cities, with a high rate of suicide, which remains a major issue in Greenland. [12] [13] [14]

Common methods

Violent methods were used in 95% of suicide deaths. [4] The most common methods were hanging (46%) and shooting (37%); [4] other methods, such as jumping from heights, cutting with sharp objects, drowning, overdose of medication, and poisoning were also used, but less frequently. [9]

Suicide prevention

Greenland's government and international and national organizations have undertaken efforts and initiatives to prevent suicides. There are associations that provide support for people who feel suicidal. Measures include posters placed along the roads, which read: "The call is free. No one is alone. Don't be alone with your dark thoughts. Call." [2] [4] Suicide consultants show films discouraging teenage suicide attempts. [7] The first national suicide prevention strategy was initiated in 2005, followed by another in 2013 that involves courses, education, local communities and professionals (such as teachers, social workers and doctors). [3] It also highlighted a number of places where further studies are needed. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenland</span> Autonomous territory of Denmark

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the larger of two autonomous territories within the kingdom, the other being the Faroe Islands; the citizens of both territories are full citizens of Denmark. As Greenland is one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, citizens of Greenland are European Union citizens. The capital and largest city of Greenland is Nuuk. Greenland lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is the world's largest island, and is the location of the northernmost point of land in the world—Kaffeklubben Island off the northern coast is the world's northernmost undisputed point of land; Cape Morris Jesup on the mainland was thought to be so until the 1960s. Economically, Greenland is heavily reliant on aid from Denmark, amounting to near half of the territory's total public revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Greenland</span>

The history of Greenland is a history of life under extreme Arctic conditions: currently, an ice sheet covers about eighty percent of the island, restricting human activity largely to the coasts. The first humans are thought to have arrived in Greenland around 2500 BCE. Their descendants apparently died out and were succeeded by several other groups migrating from continental North America. There has been no evidence discovered that Greenland was known to Norsemen until the ninth century CE, when Norse Icelandic explorers settled on its southwestern coast. The ancestors of the Greenlandic Inuit who live there today appear to have migrated there later, around the year 1200, from northwestern Greenland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Greenland</span> University in Nuuk, Greenland

The University of Greenland is Greenland's only university. It is in the capital city of Nuuk. Most courses are taught in Danish, a few in Greenlandic and classes by exchange lecturers often in English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Greenland</span>

The music of Greenland is a mixture of two primary strands, Inuit and Danish, mixed with influences from the United States and United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaallit</span> Greenlandic Inuit ethnic group

Kalaallit are a Greenlandic Inuit ethnic group, being the largest group in Greenland, concentrated in the west. It is also a contemporary term in the Greenlandic language for the Indigenous of Greenland. The Kalaallit are a part of the Arctic Inuit. The language spoken by Inuit in Greenland is known as Kalaallisut, known in English as Greenlandic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast Greenland National Park</span> National park in Greenland

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world's largest national park and the 10th largest protected area. Established in 1974, the Northeast Greenland national park expanded to its present size in 1988. It protects 972,000 km2 (375,000 sq mi) of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland and is larger than the area of Tanzania, but smaller than that of Egypt. This means that the national park is bigger than 166 of the world's 195 countries. It was the first national park to be created in the Kingdom of Denmark and remains Greenland's only national park. It is the northernmost national park in the world and the second-largest by area of any second-level subdivision of any country in the world, trailing only the Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenlanders</span> Ethnic group and nation

Greenlanders, also called Greenlandics or Greenlandic people, are an Inuit ethnic group native to Greenland. As of 2024, Greenland's population stands at 55,840 and is in decline. Many Greenlanders are emigrating to other countries, particularly Denmark, where the population of native Greenlanders was around 18,563 as of 2018. Within Greenland, most residents live along the coastline, primarily in the central and southern regions, while the northern areas are less populated, as strongly influenced by climatic and geographical considerations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuit</span> Indigenous peoples of northern North America

Inuit are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon (traditionally), Alaska, and Chukotsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo–Aleut languages, also known as Inuit-Yupik-Unangan, and also as Eskaleut. Inuit Sign Language is a critically endangered language isolate used in Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Greenland</span> Overview of and topical guide to Greenland

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Greenland:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Greenland-related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenlandic cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Greenland

Greenlandic cuisine is traditionally based on meat from marine mammals, birds, and fish, and normally contains high levels of protein. Since colonization and the arrival of international trade, the cuisine has been increasingly influenced by Danish, British, American and Canadian cuisine. During the summer when the weather is milder, meals are often eaten outdoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuupik Kleist</span> Greenlandic politician (born 1958)

Jakob Edvard Kuupik Kleist is a Greenlandic politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Greenland between 2009 and 2013. A member of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party, he was the first prime minister not affiliated with Siumut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenlandic Inuit</span> Ethnic group indigenous to Greenland

The Greenlandic Inuit are the indigenous and most populous ethnic group in Greenland. Most speak Greenlandic and consider themselves ethnically Greenlandic. People of Greenland are both citizens of Denmark and citizens of the European Union.

The Statue of Hans Egede is a monument in Nuuk, Greenland. It commemorates the Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary Hans Egede who founded Nuuk in 1728. Funded by Greenlanders, the statue lies on a hill near the shore above Nuuk Cathedral in the historical Old Nuuk area of the city. The original statue by August Saabye stands outside Frederik's Church in Copenhagen. Egede's controversial missionary practices have recently attracted vandalism and calls for removal of the monument.

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References

  1. ↑ Unless otherwise stated all statistics are from WHO: "Suicide rates per 100,000 by country, year and sex (Table)". World Health Organization. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Suicide Capital of the World". 9 October 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Departementet for Sundhed og Infrastruktur (2013), National strategi for selvmordsforebyggelse i Grønland 2013-2019 (National Strategy for suicide prevention in Greenland 2013-2019) (PDF), Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Björkstén, K. S.; Kripke, D. F.; Bjerregaard, P. (2009). "Accentuation of suicides but not homicides with rising latitudes of Greenland in the sunny months". BMC Psychiatry. 9: 20. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-9-20 . PMC   2685778 . PMID   19422728.
  5. ↑ Harding, Katherine (16 July 2007), Nunavut reeling from soaring suicide rate; Territory's leaders are in denial and government efforts to address the crisis are weak, expert says, Iqaluit, Nunavut: The Globe and Mail
  6. ↑ Hicks, Jack (2007), "The social determinants of elevated rates of suicide among Inuit youth" (PDF), Indigenous Affairs, 4, 07: 30–37
  7. 1 2 "Singing to end teen suicide in Greenland". bbc.co.uk . 7 December 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ Hannah Sargeant, Rebecca Forsyth, and Alexandra Pitman: The Epidemiology of Suicide in Young Men in Greenland: A Systematic Review Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Nov; 15(11): 2442.
  9. 1 2 3 Markus J. Leineweber. "Modernization and Mental Health: Suicide among the Inuit in Greenland" . Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Greenland's Constant Summer Sunlight Linked To Summer Suicide Spike" . Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  11. ↑ Nils Retterstøl (1993). Suicide . Cambridge University Press. p.  26. ISBN   978-0-521-42099-0 . Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "The colonialism of Denmark-Norway and its legacies". nordics.info. January 7, 2021.
  13. ↑ Sofie Lee Sogaard. "The Construction of Exceptionalist Nationalism: A Critique of Danish Imperialist Shame and Ongoing Colonialism in KalaallitDanish Imperialist Shame and Ongoing Colonialism in Kalaallit NunaatNunaat".
  14. ↑ The Arctic Suicides: It's Not The Dark That Kills You. "The Arctic Suicides: It's Not The Dark That Kills You". npr.org.
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