Suicide in Flanders, Belgium, after terrorist attacks

Roel Van Overmeire; Yori Gidron; Stefaan Six; Reginald Deschepper; Marie Vandekerckhove; Johan Bilsen

doi:10.1080/13548506.2021.1894342

Suicide in Flanders, Belgium, after terrorist attacks

Roel Van Overmeire, Yori Gidron, Stefaan Six, Reginald Deschepper, Marie Vandekerckhove, Johan Bilsen

Department of Nursing

University of Haifa

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	1507-1513
Number of pages	7
Journal	Psychology, Health and Medicine
Volume	27
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2021.1894342
State	Published - 1 Jan 2022

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Terrorism
epidemiology
stress
suicide
traumatic stress

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Clinical Psychology
Applied Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1080/13548506.2021.1894342

Cite this

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title = "Suicide in Flanders, Belgium, after terrorist attacks",

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.",

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AU - Van Overmeire, Roel

AU - Gidron, Yori

AU - Six, Stefaan

AU - Deschepper, Reginald

AU - Vandekerckhove, Marie

AU - Bilsen, Johan

PY - 2022/1/1

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AB - 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.

KW - Terrorism

KW - epidemiology

KW - stress

KW - suicide

KW - traumatic stress

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Suicide in Flanders, Belgium, after terrorist attacks

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

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