Suicide is defined as the action of ending ones own life intentionally. It is considered a major cause of death worldwide. Although its prevalence is less in Saudi Arabia compared to other countries, it still remains a public health problem that needs to be addressed. This study is aimed at reviewing suicide studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A systematic literature search was carried out using eight databases and multiple keywords related to suicidal death in KSA. The following inclusion criteria were used: any legible full-text article, published between 1994 and 2015 that examines the rate, factors, and mechanisms of suicide in KSA, while excluding any article with failure of suicidal attempts or examining other manners of death. Search results found 17 articles, and 9 of them were retrospective studies that matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studied articles concluded that the highest rate of suicide was among Indians, followed by Saudis, and males had a higher suicidal rate than females. The most dominant age for suicide was the fourth decade. Moreover, it has been found that hanging was the predominant method of suicide. Factors that raise the rate of suicide included family troubles, low socioeconomic status, psychological disease, previous suicidal attempts, and substance intake. Suicide was found to be one of the public health problems. Even though the rate in KSA is low, the authors recommend preventive suicidal programs to be established to maintain access to medical and psychological healthcare and routine follow-ups.
Key words: Suicide, death, end of life, Saudi Arabia
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