Financial troubles cited as reason for suicide in Turkey

Financial problems were listed among the reasons for suicide in Turkey last year, according to figures from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) released last month. 

According to the data, 6.9 percent of those who committed suicide in 2013 did so due to economic difficulties, while 1.9 percent did so due to business failure. The reason for 53.8 percent of suicides last year remains unknown. Other reasons included family incompatibility and illness. 

A majority of the 3,189 suicides committed last year in Turkey were by men, who accounted for 72.7 percent, while women accounted for the remaining 27.3 percent. 

The provinces of Karaman, Ardahan and Bingöl had the highest rate of suicide per 100,000 people in 2013, while Gümüşhane, Rize and Tokat reported the lowest rates. Comparatively, Karaman reported 9.33 suicides per 100,000 people while Gümüşhane reported 0.74. 

The highest number of suicides by age group was recorded among those 75 and older, particularly among men. There were 14.33 suicides per 100,000 men in that age group recorded last year. The highest female suicide rate was recorded in the 15 to 19-year-old age group, with 5.52 suicides per 100,000 women. 

Married people constituted 48.8 percent of suicides in Turkey last year, while 38.4 percent had never married and 5.6 percent were divorced. 

Last year, mental heath support groups in Greece reported that suicides in that country -- which has historically been known for having among the lowest rates in Europe -- had risen 45 percent during the first four years of Greece's financial crisis. 

Personal loan and credit card debt has risen sharply in Turkey in recent years. Last year, just under 1 million consumers could not make payments on personal loans or credit cards, a nearly 50 percent increase over the previous year. In Turkey 200 people have reportedly committed suicide due to credit card debt since 2004.