Impacts of Socio-economic Factors on Provincial Suicide Trends in Thailand

Abstract

This paper was aimed at presenting findings from the study of the impact of socio-economic environment to provincial-level suicide situation in Thailand. Using secondary data, the research investigated suicide occurrences from 2002 to 2006 in order to explain factors related to those suicides, especially in terms of gender and region. The research found that proportion of poverty, urbanization, aging, divorce, being AIDS patients, disabilities, and smoking were socio-economic causes related to suicides at a provincial level. Categorizing by gender, it was found that male suicide level was mainly affected by the following factors: industrialization, proportion of poverty, urbanization, aging, divorce, HIV/AIDS patients, and smoking. In female, suicide situation was affected by Gross Provincial Products, unemployment rate, urbanization, aging, divorce, and HIV/ AIDS patients. Finally, when classify by region, it was concluded that the factors affecting suicide in Northeastern Thailand was aging while in Northern Thailand the factors were industrialization, unemployment rate, and being AIDS patients. In Southern Thailand the factors affecting suicides were HIV/AIDS patients and disabilities.