Ethnic Variations in Violent Suicidality: A Comparative Study of Israeli Jews and Arabs

Background: In suicide attempts, the level of violence is a crucial factor influencing outcomes, with variations observed across age, gender, and ethnicity. However, the influence of demographic variables and specifically ethnicity on violent suicide attempts (VSA) in Israel has yet to be characterized. Objective: To evaluate the ethnic and demographic predictors of VSA observed in the emergency department (ED). Methods: We analyzed ED visits at Rambam Health Care Campus following suicide attempts carried out by adults between 2017 and 2022. Two logistic regression models were built to examine whether patients’ demographic variables can predict VSA and their association with the need for medical hospitalization. Results: We examined 791 suicide attempts (498 women [62.96%]; 596 Jewish [75.35%]), with the majority being non-violent attempts (716 [90.52%]). Demographic variables were significantly associated with VSA, indicating a higher likelihood of VSA among Israeli Arabs and among Men. Additional analysis revealed that both VSA and Age are associated with increased rates of medical hospitalization, independent of ethnicity. Conclusions: The findings highlight the role of ethnicity in selection of suicide method and identify Israeli Arabs as a risk group for violent suicide. This underscores the importance of culturally sensitive risk assessment and suicide prevention in minority groups.