The number of suicides in Norway rose by more than 13 percent last year, and may even be higher, officials warned over the weekend. That’s because some suicides may be disguised as accidents.
Even though Norway has survived the global finance crisis far better than most countries, and ranks as the world’s best place to live, suicides were up by at least 13.4 percent according to figures from Folkehelseinstitutt (the Norwegian Institute of Public Health). The actual number of confirmed suicides rose to 573, up from 505 in 2008.
More men than women committed suicide and the new numbers reverse a trend of decline in the suicide rate over the past 15 years. Public health officials said they had “no foundation” on which to express a possible reason.
Police and state traffic officials also believe many traffic accidents, especially head-on collisions, are actually suicides in disguise. They warn that some suicides can also be disguised as accidental poisonings or drownings.
Views and News staff
