The suicide rate in England and Wales fell after the London
bombings on 7 July 2005, according to
new
research published in the January issue of the
British
Journal of Psychiatry.
A second significant reduction also coincided
with the second wave of terrorist attacks on 21 July, researchers
found.
Previous studies have shown that terrorist
attacks can have substantial effects on suicide rates. For example,
England and Wales saw a reduction in suicide after the attacks of
11 September 2001 in the USA. This is thought to be because
traumatic national events create group integration and greater
cohesion within society.
In this study, researchers Dr Emad Salib and
Dr Mario Cortina-Borja analysed the daily suicide counts between 1
January 2001 and 31 December 2005. Figures were obtained from the
Office for National Statistics. A small but significant reduction
in daily suicide rates was observed five days after the 7 July
attacks – on 12 July. A second reduction was observed on 21 July,
coinciding with the second wave of attacks. No similar reduction in
suicide was seen during the same period in the previous four
years.
The reduction in suicide on both days was
found to be about 40%. This reduction was similar to – but not
greater than – the reduction reported in England and Wales after 11
September 2001. The researchers were surprised by this
finding, as they had hypothesised the July bombings would have a
much greater impact on suicide rates compared with the 2001 attacks
in America. However, the reduction was still significant.
Dr Salib and Dr Cortina-Borja suggest that
previous experience of IRA terrorism in the UK may have limited the
effect of the 7 July 2005 attacks. Writing in the Biritish
Journal of Psychiatry, they said: “The shock value of suicide
terrorism and its psychological potency appear to diminish over
time as the tactic becomes overused.”
The researchers added: “The terrorist attacks
in London had been expected and, prior to 7 July 2005 attempts had
been made by the British government to prepare the UK population
for a possible major incident. This may have led to a relatively
weaker emotional impact compared with the totally unexpected 11
September 2001 attacks in New York.”
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
References:
Salib E and Cortina-Borja M (2009) Effect of 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks in London on suicide in England and Wales, British Journal of Psychiatry, 194: 80-85