There should have been some mention in the radio program regarding the reliability of figures that were being thrown about as though they were completely reliable. I'm deeply skeptical that they're not, whether due to cultural biases that exist in certain countries, a desire to spare to family of the suicide the pain of disclosure, and so on.
Also, traditionally in some parts of the US the individual creating the death certificate may not actually have much expertise in medical matters. (I think this is changing, but as late as the early '90s this was the case.) In some developing countries this is also likely the case. In other words, they might not know it when they see it, or see it when it did not in fact happen.
The figure that really raised my eyebrow was the one glibly quoted regarding Greece. 80% to 90% of the population belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, and while it is possible to commit suicide and be buried under their rites, some sort of investigation must be conducted before it is permitted, and such permission is far from being automatic. I would suggest that this puts a great deal of pressure on doctors to call a death anything but a suicide. After all, even if permission IS granted, the family is going to be questioned, word will spread throughout the community and so on.
But the radio program seemed to treat these figures as gospel truth, or produced as the result of an impersonal, completely rational process. Hmph.
_________________
"The man who has fed the chicken every day throughout its life at last wrings its neck instead, showing that more refined views as to the uniformity of nature would have been useful to the chicken." ? Bertrand Russell
30 Jul 2011, 4:58 pm
