Suicides in countries of the CIS

Investigated the dynamics of suicides in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). With this goal in mind, we have carried out the analysis of suicide rate data across the three periods that have been compared. The first of these is represented by the year 1990 - the last year of the existence of these states as Soviet republics.The second period is represented by the year 1995, which characterized the social and the economic difficulties of the transition period in the newly independent States. The third one is represented by the year 2012, reflecting the 20-year long period of their independent existence. Analysis of the suicide rate in the QS has enabled to identify two groups countries. The first one includes Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. In this group suicide rates are directly linked to the character of the social situation: the fast and pronounced growth of the rate in transitional period of state formation, accompanied by social and economic crisis (in Russia from 26.5 to 41.5 per 100000 population, in Belarus - from 20.4 to 31.2, in Kazakhstan - from 19.1 to 28.6) and slow decrease of suicide rate as the situation becomes stable (in 2012: Russia - 22.4 per 100 000, Belarus - 21.8, Kazakhstan - 24). The second group comprises the Central Asian States (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia). In this group of countries suicide rates show virtually no response to changes in the social situation and are stable at the low level (1-7 per 100 000 population) during all periods. Installed differences associated with socio-cultural characteristics of the countries, it is necessary to take into account in government programs preventing suicides.