EDITORS' INTRODUCTION

Suicidal behaviour is one of the common behaviours that is influenced by cultural attitudes to death and self-harm. Rates of suicide vary dramatically across cultures. Even within migrant populations rates of self-harm vary. Thus biological factors alone cannot explain this huge variation. In societies and cultures where suicidal behaviour still remains an illegal act, it is impossible to collect accurate information on epidemiological and aetiological factors. Religion itself and attitudes to suicide within each religion also play a significant role in discouraging self-harm.

In this chapter by Fortune and Hawton the focus is beyond Europe and the West. With clear definitions and epidemiological exploration of the existing data, the authors discuss the differential rates of suicide across cultures and deliberate self-harm among different ethnic groups. Amongst other varying patterns of possible causation and explanations for their act, the ethnic minority groups tend to express less regret compared with their White counterparts. Elevated rates of suicide have been reported in migrants, especially in women originating from the Indian subcontinent. A striking observation is that they also used more violent and dramatic methods to commit suicide, such as burning and hanging. The rates of suicide and deliberate self-harm are lower in men of South Asian and Caribbean ancestry. Interestingly, findings are beginning to emerge that the newly expanding economies of Kazakhstan and Ukraine are beginning to report an increase in rates. Rapid industrialization and urbanization may change the social networks and systems and perhaps also increase substance abuse. The interesting paradox highlighted by the authors is that the traditionally low reported rates of suicide in Black males in the USA increased between 1980 and 1995.