Suicide

As can be seen in the graph below, Finland stands out among the Nordic countries with a marked fall over the past decades from an earlier higher level. This is rooted in national efforts that go back to the 1980s. 

The nationwide Suicide Prevention Project was implemented in Finland over a ten-year period in 1986—1996. Its objective was to find means of preventing suicide which suit the local conditions, and thereby to reduce the incidence of suicide by a fifth. The age-standardized suicide rate was its highest in 1990 but decreased by 45% for men and by 31% for women in the following two decades. The decrease in the suicide rate has been linked with the increased sale and use of antidepressants, especially among men. Also, the replacement of hospital-based services with intensive outpatient care has had a positive impact on suicide mortality of patients, who have received care in psychiatric hospitals.