Suicide in Flanders, Belgium, after terrorist attacks. Issue 7 (9th August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Van Overmeire, Roel; Gidron, Yori; Six, Stefaan; Deschepper, Reginald; Vandekerckhove, Marie; Bilsen, Johan
• Is Part Of: Psychology, health & medicine. Volume 27:Issue 7(2022)
• Page Start: 1507
• Page End: 1513
• Publication Date: 2022-08-09
• Subjects: Terrorism -- suicide -- epidemiology -- stress -- traumatic stress; Medicine and psychology -- Periodicals; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2021.1894342
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-8506

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Little is known about the association between terrorism and suicide. This study investigates suicide numbers in Flanders, Belgium before and after the Paris-attacks (13/11/2015) and Brussels-attacks (22/03/2016). Population mortality data for suicide were gathered from the Agency for healthcare. Suicides in Flanders, Belgium, were higher after both attacks. The increase was higher after the Paris-attacks, compared to the attacks in Brussels, Belgium. The effect of a close-by, but still foreign attack (the Paris-attacks in France) on suicide numbers is larger than that of an attack inside the country (the Brussels-attacks), possibly due to a difference in threat experience and coping possibilities.