7,422 suicides in 2 years in Italy - 80% are men says ISS

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 10 - An estimated 7,422 people over 15 years of age in Italy committed suicide in 2020 and 2021, according to figures released by the Higher Health Institute (ISS) released on Tuesday, World Suicide Prevention Day.
    A reported 78.5% of those who committed suicide over the two-year period were men and retirement was a critical event, according to ISS.
    Historically, suicide rates among men and women tend to grow with age, explained Monica Vichi, who works for the statistics office of Italy's Higher Health Institute.
    "For men, an exponential rise of the rate is clear starting from 70-74 years, which coincides or just follows the age of retirement that has moved forward compared to the past", she said.
    Retirement is a particularly critical event for men as it leads to a reduced social role and a smaller network of acquaintances.
    Meanwhile, for women, "we have observed a small rise" in suicide cases at a young age, she reported.
    Overall, Italy has an average of 5.9 deaths by suicide every 100,000 residents which is much lower than the European average of 10.2, the expert concluded. (ANSA).