Abstract
Background
The problem of underestimating the burden of mental health-related mortality is widely discussed in the public health literature. Relevant scientific evidence from societies ...experiencing the largest burden of mental health mortality is important for better understanding global and national mental health challenges and improving policies. Three Baltic States - Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia - are countries in the Central and Eastern European region that experienced post-soviet transition trauma and showed among the highest suicide and alcohol-related mortality rates in Europe. This study aimed to examine the change in the burden of mental health-related mortality in three Baltic States in the context of consistent growth in life expectancy in 2007-2018.
Methods
We calculated age-standardized years of life lost due to specific mental health-related causes of death in three Baltic countries from 2007 to 2018. Four mental health-related causes of death groups were analyzed: (i) all mental and behavioural disorders; (ii) intentional self-harm; (iii) main substance use-related causes of death; and (iv) external causes of death. The number of deaths came from the WHO Mortality Database; population exposures were extracted from the Human Mortality Database.
Results
We found that the proportion of age-standardized years of life lost due to mental disorders was relatively low in all three countries. It varied from 0.2% for females in Lithuania in 2009 to 2.4% for males in Estonia in 2007. However, the proportion of age-standardized years of life lost from self-harm and substance use remained high. In 2018, the proportion of age-standardized years of life lost due to self-harm was highest among males in Lithuania (4.1%) while the highest proportion due to substance use-related causes of death was among males in Estonia (7.3%).
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that the burden of mental health-related mortality remained high and showed divergent temporal changes across the three countries. In the context of the Baltic States and other post-soviet countries, fractions of various external causes of death and alcohol-related causes of death should be considered in assessing the total burden of mental health-related mortality.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
2.
Intentional Homicides and Alcohol Abuse in Lithuania Černevičiūtė, Sigita; Dobryninas, Aleksandras; Stumbrys, Daumantas
Journal of contemporary criminal justice,
08/2024, Letnik:
40, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The aim of the present study is to examine the links between high intentional homicide rates and alcohol abuse in the context of social transition in Lithuania. According to the extant literature, ...both the increase in homicide rates and the increase in alcohol abuse have a negative impact on public health and are often associated with challenges at the macrosocial level. In recent decades, Lithuania has experienced substantial political, economic, and social transformations. Lithuanian society has transitioned from a Soviet regime to embrace the Western principles of liberal democracy. Yet, despite positive political and economic progress, Lithuania remains a country with one of the highest homicide and alcohol-related harm rates in the European Union. These characteristics have made the Lithuanian homicide situation a captivating topic for a range of international and national studies, expert analyses, and evaluations. Unfortunately, the lack of reliable and consistent data on homicide continues to obstruct researchers from delving deeper into the analysis and explanation of the homicide phenomenon in Lithuania. To mitigate this issue, in this work, we present thoroughly collected and processed historical data on intentional homicide trends from 1961 to 2022. We also examine changes in the rate of homicide suspects, including their socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol intoxication for the 2004–2022 period. Finally, we investigate changes in homicide mortality rates and homicide victims’ socio-demographic characteristics. Our analyses are based on data sourced from the Lithuanian Special Archives, as well as national and international databases of crime statistics and demographic data. We noted a continuous decline in intentional homicide rates after the steep increase in 1989–1994. Furthermore, between 2004 and 2022, more than half of intentional homicide suspects were under the influence of alcohol. These findings are discussed in the broader context of societal changes in Lithuania.
In many countries of the world, including Lithuania, suicide rates for men are several times higher than for women. Therefore, the phenomenon of men’s suicide is receiving a lot of attention in ...public, scientific, and political discourses. In contrast, much less attention is paid to tackling women’s suicides and women’s mental health problems. Lithuania has been among the countries with the highest suicide rates for both men and women in the world for several decades, but research on the social and demographic aspects of women’s suicide in Lithuania is lacking. This paper aims to examine the demographic losses that Lithuania suffers from women suicides and assess the socio-demographic differentiation of these losses. The empirical part of the study was based on the calculation of years of life lost methodology. The years of life lost method is acknowledged as an accurate measure for assessing the impact of specific causes of death on premature mortality. Data sources for this study were the World Health Organization, Institute of Hygiene, and Human Mortality Database. The results of our study show that the number of years of lives lost due to women’s suicide decreased statistically significantly from 376 321; 431 in 2007 to 287 238; 335 in 2020. In Lithuania, the total number of women suicide was the highest among the 80+ year age group, however, the number of years of life lost due to suicide was the highest among the 30-39 year age group. The change in women’s suicide rates was inconsistent and for women, the decline in demographic loss due to suicide was twice as slow as for men. Nevertheless, the number of years of lives lost due to women’s suicide was about 5 times smaller than that of men in 2020. In Lithuania, high rates of women’s suicide reflect the poor state of women’s mental health, which poses challenges to the country’s mental health policy and sustainable demographic development.
Although excessive alcohol-related mortality in the post-Soviet countries remains the major public health threat, determinants of this phenomenon are still poorly understood.
We assess simultaneously ...individual- and area-level factors associated with an elevated risk of alcohol-related mortality among Lithuanian males aged 30-64.
Our analysis is based on a census-linked dataset containing information on individual- and area-level characteristics and death events which occurred between March 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2013. We limit the analysis to a few causes of death which are directly linked to excessive alcohol consumption: accidental poisonings by alcohol (X45) and liver cirrhosis (K70 and K74). Multilevel Poisson regression models with random intercepts are applied to estimate mortality rate ratios (MRR).
The selected individual-level characteristics are important predictors of alcohol-related mortality, whereas area-level variables show much less pronounced or insignificant effects. Compared to married men, never married (MRR = 1.9, CI:1.6-2.2), divorced (MRR = 2.6, CI:2.3-2.9), and widowed (MRR = 2.4, CI: 1.8-3.1) men are disadvantaged groups. Men who have the lowest level of educational attainment have the highest mortality risk (MRR = 1.7 CI:1.4-2.1). Being unemployed is associated with a five-fold risk of alcohol-related death (MRR = 5.1, CI: 4.4-5.9), even after adjusting for all other individual variables. Lithuanian males have an advantage over Russian (MRR = 1.3, CI:1.1-1.6) and Polish (MRR = 1.8, CI: 1.5-2.2) males. After adjusting for all individual characteristics, only two out of seven area-level variables-i.e., the share of ethnic minorities in the population and the election turnout-have statistically significant direct associations. These variables contribute to a higher risk of alcohol-related mortality at the individual level.
The huge and increasing socio-economic disparities in alcohol-related mortality indicate that recently implemented anti-alcohol measures in Lithuania should be reinforced by specific measures targeting the most disadvantaged population groups and geographical areas.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
SummaryThe mortality pattern of the post-soviet population shows a notable life expectancy differentiation by sex, marital status, education, place of residence, and other socio-demographic ...variables. This publication presents results of a study of mortality patterns among working-age men in Lithuania. The study is based on the Cockerham health lifestyle theory. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate men’s mortality fluctuation since the year 1959. The Lithuanian mortality rates were compared with the mortality rates in other European countries. This study is based on data from the Human Mortality Database and the European Mortality Database. The results of the study confirm that for men the probability to die in the working age in Lithuania is more than twice as high as in France. The Lithuanian working-age men’s population has a very high rate of mortality from external causes and alcohol-related deaths. This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the Global Grant measure (project No. VP1-3.1-ŠMM-07-K-02-067).Key words: causes of death, mortality differentials, men’s premature mortality
Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centrasA. Goštauto g. 11, LT-01108 Vilnius, LietuvaTel. (8-5) 275 34 46El. paštas: dstumbrys@gmail.com Posovietinių valstybių gyventojams būdinga mirtingumo pokyčių diferenciacija pagal socialinius demografinius požymius. Straipsnyje, remiantis Wiliamo C. Cockerhamo su sveikata susijusios gyvensenos teorija, nagrinėjama didelio priešlaikinio Lietuvos vyrų mirtingumo problema. Straipsnio tikslas – pristatyti, kaip kito darbingo amžiaus Lietuvos vyrų mirtingumo rodikliai nuo 1959 m. ir kokie buvo tų rodiklių kaitos skirtumai, palyginti su kitomis Europos šalimis. Gyventojų mirtingumo rodiklių statistinė analizė atlikta naudojant Human Mortality Database ir European Mortality Database duomenis. Nustatyta, kad darbingo amžiaus vyrų mirtingumo rodikliai, palyginti su kitomis Vakarų Europos šalimis, Lietuvoje yra ypač dideli. Lietuvos vyrų tikimybė numirti 25–44 metų 2009 m. buvo 2,9 karto didesnė negu Prancūzijos vyrų ir3,4 karto didesnė negu Lietuvos moterų. Vienas iš svarbiausių tokio didelio Lietuvos vyrų mirtingumo veiksnių – ypač didelis mirtingumas dėl išorinių mirties priežasčių. Mokslinis tyrimas finansuojamas Europos socialinio fondo lėšomis pagal visuotinės dotacijos priemonę (sutarties Nr. VP1-3.1-ŠMM-07-K-02-067).Pagrindiniai žodžiai: mirties priežastys, mirtingumo diferenciacija, priešlaikinis vyrų mirtingumasHigh Premature Morality Rates Among Men in Lithuania. Patterns and Causes Daumantas Stumbrys Summary The mortality pattern of the post-soviet population shows a notable life expectancy differentiation by sex, marital status, education, place of residence, and other socio-demographic variables. This publication presents results of a study of mortality patterns among working-age men in Lithuania. The study is based on the Cockerham health lifestyle theory. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate men’s mortality fluctuation since the year 1959. The Lithuanian mortality rates were compared with the mortality rates in other European countries. This study is based on data from the Human Mortality Database and the European Mortality Database. The results of the study confirm that for men the probability to die in the working age in Lithuania is more than twice as high as in France. The Lithuanian working-age men’s population has a very high rate of mortality from external causes and alcohol-related deaths. This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the Global Grant measure (project No. VP1-3.1-ŠMM-07-K-02-067). Key words: causes of death, mortality differentials, men’s premature mortality
The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic, family, and educational differences in children’s speech perception development after cochlear (hearing) implantation. The research was ...conducted in Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos during the years 2013–2018. Open-set speech perception in quiet surroundings were evaluated during hearing assessments (n=81). Information about different factor groups was collected according to the Nottingham Children’s Implant Profile questionnaire. Three main factor groups were analysed: (a) demographic, (b) family, and (c) educational. A Bourdieu-based approach was adopted to analyse social inequalities of health of children with cochlear implants. Different factors were operationalized as different forms of capital. Our findings highlight the importance of family’s social and cultural capital to children speech perception after cochlear implantation.
Lithuanian men had the lowest life expectancy among EU countries in 2015. However, since the year 2007 the country is facing the highest positive change in men’s life expectancy over the past 50 ...years. It is necessary to reveal what causes of deaths in different socio-demographic groups had a major impact on certain life expectancy changes. In this paper we analyse the aggregated mortality data from the Eurostat and Lithuanian Statistics databases. The analysis of the causes of death was implemented by using the de-compositional analysis method. The results show that the increase in life expectancy is determined by mortality decline due to the external causes of death and cardiovascular diseases. The record-high increase in men’s life expectancy in 2007–2015 conceals controversial changes in mortality at different stages of this period.
Lithuanian men had the lowest life expectancy among EU countries in 2015. However, since the year 2007 the country is facing the highest positive change in men’s life expec¬tancy over the past 50 ...years. It is necessary to reveal what causes of deaths in different socio-demographic groups had a major impact on certain life expectancy changes. In this paper we analyse the aggregated mortality data from the Eurostat and Lithuanian Statistics databases. The analysis of the causes of death was implemented by using the de-compositional analysis method. The results show that the increase in life ex-pectancy is determined by mortality decline due to the external causes of death and cardiovascular diseases. The record-high increase in men’s life expectancy in 2007–2015 conceals controversial changes in mortality at different stages of this period.
Introduction
Employee alcohol consumption is a major challenge to both the health of the employee and productivity of the company. Our study investigates the overall alcohol intoxication rates of ...employees at companies in Lithuania, alcohol intoxication incidence rates during the work week and associations between company variables and employee alcohol intoxication at work.
Methods
Data for our study were collected at 153 different companies in Lithuania during the year 2018. Overall 2 455 997 alcohol breath tests were analysed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression analysis.
Results
Descriptive statistics showed that the alcohol intoxication (blood alcohol concentration ≥ 0.01%) incidence rate was 0.31% (n = 7535). Average alcohol intoxication was 0.04%. Furthermore, higher alcohol intoxication incidence rates were found on Mondays and in the morning than at any other day or time. The results of Poisson regression analysis showed that the alcohol intoxication incidence rate ratios were highest among small companies, companies from the farming sector and companies from rural areas.
Discussion and Conclusions
We found a relationship between company variables, testing time and incidence rates of alcohol intoxication. The increased alcohol intoxication at work throughout the weekend and on Monday is consistent with the alcohol consumption patterns in the Lithuanian population. Relatively low alcohol intoxication rate for the majority of the positively tested cases may indicate consumption of small amounts of alcohol just before starting work or excessive alcohol consumption the day before. Our findings could be an indicator of an underlying problem and have implications for alcohol prevention strategies.
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