Suicide rate in Quebec drops 32 per cent in 10 years

Quebec’s continued decline in its annual suicide rate may be attributed to an increase in public awareness, according to the Association québecoise pour le prévention du suicide (AQPS).

During the province’s 20th annual Suicide Prevention Week last week, the AQPS drew attention to the fact that, despite having the highest rate of suicide in Canada, the rate in Quebec has dropped by 32 per cent over the past decade. This trend, said Julie Herman-Lemelin, events and administration coordinator with AQPS, is a testament to the effectiveness of the province’s suicide prevention programs and a shift in public acceptance.
In 1999, Quebec saw a spike in suicides, recording 1,620. Nearly 10 years later, in 2008, that number dropped to 1,103, according to data from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.

Herman-Lemelin said this decline can also be partly credited to health practitioners and families being more acutely aware of the signs of depression, coupled with the fact that it has become less taboo to talk about suicide.
The suicide rate among Quebec youths aged 15 to 19 years old has also dropped steeply over the past decade, with numbers decreasing by an average of about 12 per cent per year between 1999 to 2008, according to AQPS.
Suicide should become unacceptable to society, in much the same way drunk driving has become unaccepted, where most “friends don’t let friends drive drunk,” said Herman-Lemelin, pointing to parallels between government action toward drunk driving in 1980s, and current actions toward dealing with suicide rates.

The AQPS used this year’s Suicide Prevention Week, which drew to a close Feb. 6, to set some new projects in motion. One such project, called “Ajouter ma voix,” encourages Quebecers to help erase the stigma around suicide by signing the group’s “declaration of solidarity,” talking to neighbours, initiating fundraisers and, in essence, raising awareness. So far, over 6,000 people have signed up.
Also helping spread the word last week was MusiquePlus. The Montreal-based television station gathered 50 young Quebec hip-hop artists to produce and record Désarmé jusqu’aux dents. The song denounces suicide and aims to spread knowledge about alternatives. This effort proves how far the province has come over the past decade, Herman-Lemelin said, noting that this amount of effort would not have happened 10 years ago.

Quebec has over 33 helplines throughout the province, with one main line (1-866-APPELLE) that hooks callers up to a call centre in their area. Helplines are open to people experiencing thoughts of suicide, friends and family members concerned for a loved one, and to people who have lost someone to suicide. Quebec’s 24-hour call centres are have trained counsellors on hand to help during a crisis.
The Canadian suicide rate is over 11 per 100,000 people, according to 2004 data from the World Health Organization. That rate varies when looking at specific subgroups within Canada, though. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, some of the highest rates are seen among the Inuit living in Northern Canada, where between 60 and 75 per 100,000 people die by their own hands. With prevention programs in place across Canada, suicide-prevention workers remain hopeful that these rates can decrease.

Quebec suicides:
2008: 1,103
2007: 1,091
2006: 1,185
1999: 1,620

National suicide rate: 11 deaths per 100,000 people

Provincial suicide rate: 14 deaths per 100,000 people

Rate among Inuits living in the North:
(2001) 60-75 deaths per 100,000 people

Sources: Association québecoise prévention du suicide & Institut national de santé publique du Québec

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