Despite sometimes massive efforts, we don’t really know if the reductions are due to interventions or just overall health improvements.
Globally, the decline in the age standardised mortality rate from suicide (32.7%) we noted is similar to that estimated by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 for all cause mortality (30.6%).23 Whether the decline in suicide mortality is due to suicide prevention activities, or whether it reflects general improvements to population health, warrants further research.