Background: Suicidal behavior is a severe public health problem. Aims: To determine the rates of attempted and completed suicide among ethnic groups in The Hague, The Netherlands (2002-2004). Methods: By analyzing data on attempted and completed suicide (from the psychiatric department of general medical hospitals; the psychiatric emergency service and the municipal coroners). Results: Turkish and Surinamese females aged 15-24 years were at highest risk for attempted suicide (age-specific rate 545 / 100, 000and 421 / 100, 000 person-years, respectively). Both rates were significantly higher than in the same age group of Dutch females (246 /100, 000 person-years). Turkish (2%) and Surinamese (7%) had lower repeat suicide-attempt rates than did Dutch (16%) females aged 15-24. Significantly lower suicide-attempt rates were found for Surinamese than for Dutch females aged 35-54 years. Differences were not explained by socioeconomic living conditions. The ratio fatal/nonfatal events was 4.5 times higher in males than in females and varied across age, gender, and ethnicity strata. Completed suicide was rare among migrant females. No completed suicides were observed in the Turkish and Surinamese females aged 15-24 years. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a high risk of attempted suicide and a low risk of completed suicide among young Turkish and Surinamese females. © 2009 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers.

Urban population Suicide Ethnic groups Social class Suicide attempt

urban population Netherlands Caucasian sex ratio human middle aged suicide attempt statistics Ethnic Groups ethnic group Turkey (republic) comparative study Aged Suicide, Attempted ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison Adolescent Suriname male female cultural factor Article adult European Continental Ancestry Group Turkey Suicide Morocco Child