- Part 1 Suicide in a Religious and Cross-cultural Perspective
- part 2 The Magnitude and Implication of Suicide and Attempted Suicide
- Part 3 Theories of Suicidal Behaviour
- Part 4 Political Determinants of Suicide
- Part 5 Social and Economic Determinants of Suicide
- Part 6 Psychiatric and Somatic Determinants of Suicide
- Part 7 Suicide Risk Assessment
- Part 8 Cost of Suicide and Prevention Strategies
- Part 9 Health Care Strategies
- Part 10 Public Health Strategies
- Part 11 Survivors of Suicide Loss
- Part 12 Young People and Suicide
- Part 13 Elderly People and Suicide
- Part 14 Networking in Suicide Research and Prevention
- Part 15 Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents
- Part 15A Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Africa
- Part 15B Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Asia
- Part 15C Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Australia and New Zealand
- Part 15D Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Europe
- Chapter 115 Suicide prevention in Estonia
- Chapter 116 Suicide prevention in Finland
- Chapter 117 Suicide prevention in France
- Chapter 118 Suicide prevention in Germany
- Chapter 119 Suicide prevention in Israel
- Chapter 120 Suicide prevention in Italy
- Chapter 121 Suicide prevention in Romania
- Chapter 122 Suicide prevention in Russia
- Chapter 123 Suicide prevention in Scotland
- Chapter 124 Suicide prevention in Sweden
- Chapter 125 Suicide prevention in Ukraine
- Part 15E Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: North America
- Part 15F Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: South America
(p. 797) Suicide prevention in France
- Chapter:
- (p. 797) Suicide prevention in France
- Author(s):
Véronique Narboni
and Jean-Pierre Soubrier
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198570059.003.0117
France has often been described as an ideal place to live: fine wining and dining, lovely villages and cities, where the pursuit of happiness defines the quality of life. Despite this positive image, another face of French society emerges in a country with one of the highest suicide rates in Europe.
Every year, more than 10,000 people commit suicide in France; representing 1 suicide every 50 minutes. However, recent publications from the High Level Committee on Public Health (Haut comité de Santé publique), state that these figures are underestimated by about 20 per cent. Reasons for underestimation are mainly due to the fact that most suicides are ‘hidden’ behind other more obvious causes of death, such as accidents and drug poisoning, or the simple fact that suicide is not identified as such.
After a significant increase in the 1980s, suicide rates in France have been gradually dropping since 1993. However, today, death by suicide remains high, which is double of that by car accidents. Furthermore, it has been reported that between 160,000 and 180,000 suicide attempts take place every year, representing 16–18 times the number of completed suicides.
In France, suicide is the first cause of death in the 35–44 age group, and the second cause of death in the 15–24 age group, according to the latest statistical analysis (INSERM 2005).
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- Part 1 Suicide in a Religious and Cross-cultural Perspective
- part 2 The Magnitude and Implication of Suicide and Attempted Suicide
- Part 3 Theories of Suicidal Behaviour
- Part 4 Political Determinants of Suicide
- Part 5 Social and Economic Determinants of Suicide
- Part 6 Psychiatric and Somatic Determinants of Suicide
- Part 7 Suicide Risk Assessment
- Part 8 Cost of Suicide and Prevention Strategies
- Part 9 Health Care Strategies
- Part 10 Public Health Strategies
- Part 11 Survivors of Suicide Loss
- Part 12 Young People and Suicide
- Part 13 Elderly People and Suicide
- Part 14 Networking in Suicide Research and Prevention
- Part 15 Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents
- Part 15A Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Africa
- Part 15B Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Asia
- Part 15C Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Australia and New Zealand
- Part 15D Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: Europe
- Chapter 115 Suicide prevention in Estonia
- Chapter 116 Suicide prevention in Finland
- Chapter 117 Suicide prevention in France
- Chapter 118 Suicide prevention in Germany
- Chapter 119 Suicide prevention in Israel
- Chapter 120 Suicide prevention in Italy
- Chapter 121 Suicide prevention in Romania
- Chapter 122 Suicide prevention in Russia
- Chapter 123 Suicide prevention in Scotland
- Chapter 124 Suicide prevention in Sweden
- Chapter 125 Suicide prevention in Ukraine
- Part 15E Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: North America
- Part 15F Examples of How to Develop Suicide Prevention on all the Continents: South America