The Effects of Changes in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases on Suicide Rates in 71 Countries, 1950-1999

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides annual mortality statistics from 1950 onward based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). In this paper we evaluate the effects of ICD form revisions on suicide rates for 71 countries. The changes between ICD‐6, ICD‐7, ICD‐8, and ICD‐9 did...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Suicide & life-threatening behavior 2004-09, Vol.34 (3), p.328-336
Main Authors: Pearson-Nelson, Benjamin J., Raffalovich, Lawrence E., Bjarnason, Thoroddur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attrition (Research Studies)
Biological and medical sciences
Classification
Countries
Developed Nations
Humans
International Classification of Diseases
International Cooperation
Longitudinal Studies
Medical sciences
Mortality
Mortality Rates
Nosology. Terminology. Diagnostic criteria
Organizational Innovation
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Statistical analysis
Suicide
Suicide - statistics & numerical data
Suicides & suicide attempts
Techniques and methods
United Nations
Validity
World Health Organization
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Summary:The World Health Organization (WHO) provides annual mortality statistics from 1950 onward based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). In this paper we evaluate the effects of ICD form revisions on suicide rates for 71 countries. The changes between ICD‐6, ICD‐7, ICD‐8, and ICD‐9 did not have an overall effect on reported suicide rates. The transitions to ICD‐8 and ICD‐9 were, however, associated with country‐specific changes in the suicide rate in some countries. The change from ICD‐9 to ICD‐10 was associated with an overall change of ‐.73 suicides per 100, 000 inhabitants. It is recommended that researchers using the WHO mortality data for longitudinal cross‐national studies control for the ICD form used at different time points.
ISSN:0363-0234
1943-278X
DOI:10.1521/suli.34.3.328.42774