Highest suicide rate in Greece
Why does the prefecture of Rethymnon have the highest suicide rate in Greece? And why is that reflected in the village of Mylopotamos? In a paper on the subject, Aris Tsantiropoulos, a lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Crete, says research is needed into the possible connection between the suicide rate and the consequences of sudden wealth. He notes that «in an epidemiology study conducted by staff of the Anogeia Health Center on mortality in the municipality for the period 1981-1995, there was an unprecedented suicide rate of 18.2 per 100,000, considerably higher than the national average, which is 7.58 per 100,000. Moreover, a comparative study of suicides in Greece during the period 1980-1995 shows Rethymnon in the lead, with men at 16.05 per 100,000 inhabitants and 6.76 per 100,000 for women, making a total of 22.81 per 100,000.» A similar study is under way by the University of Crete.
