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Suicides in Los Angeles County in Relationto the Northridge Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Kimberley Shoaf ,
Cary Sauter ,
Linda B. Bourque ,
Christian Giangreco  and
Billie Weiss
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Abstract

Introduction:

Recently, there has been speculation that suiciderates increase after a disaster. Yet, in spite ofanecdotal reports, it is difficult to demonstratea systematic relationship between suicide anddisaster. Suicides are fairly rare events, andsingle disasters rarely have covered geographicareas with large enough populations to be able tofind statistically significant differences in suchrelatively rare events (annual suicide rates inthe United States average 12/100,000population).

Hypothesis:

Suicide rates increased in the three calendaryears (1994–1996) following the Northridgeearthquake as compared to the three calendar years(1991–1993) prior to the earthquake. Likewise thesuicide rates for 1993 are compared with the ratesin 1994. By looking at the suicide rates in athree-year period after the earthquake, theadditional disasters that befell SouthernCalifornia in 1995 and 1996 may have had anadditive effect on psychological disorders andsuicide rates that can be measured.

Methods:

Data on suicide mortality were compiled for theyears from 1989 through 1996. Differences in ratesfor 1993 compared with 1994 and for three-yearperiods before and after the earthquake (1991–1993vs. 1994 –1996) were analyzed using az-statistic.

Results:

There is a statistically significant differencein the rates for the years prior to the earthquake(1991–1993) when pooled and compared to thesuicide rates for the years after the earthquake(1994–1996). The rates of suicide are lower in thethree years following the earthquake (11.85 vs.13.12/100,000 population) than they are in thethree years prior to the earthquake(z = -3.85, p<0.05). Likewise, there is a similar differencewhen comparing 1993 to 1994 (11.77 vs. 13.84,z = -3.57, p<0.05). The patterns of suicide remain similarover time, with males and non-Hispanic Whiteshaving the highest rates of suicide.

Conclusion:

It does not appear that suicide rates increase asa result of earthquakes in this setting. Thisstudy demonstrates that the psychological impactsof the Northridge earthquake did not culminate inan increase in the rates of suicide.

Keywords

disasterearthquakemental healthsuicide

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2004 , pp. 307 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2004

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