Each type of suicidal behavior assessed occurs at a slightly higher rate in developing than in developed countries. More specifically, estimates of the 12-month prevalence of suicide ideation, plans and attempts are 2.0, 0.6, and 0.3%, respectively, for developed countries and 2.1, 0.7 and 0.4% for developing countries (Table 2). Overall, roughly one-third of 12-month ideators develop a suicide plan, and this proportion is significantly higher in developing than developed countries (34.1% vs. 28.9%, χ21= 4.6, p = .032). A slightly lower percentage of 12-month ideators make a suicide attempt, and this proportion is also higher in developing than developed countries (20.2% vs. 15.1%, χ21= 6.1, p = .001). Developing countries also have a higher prevalence of attempts among ideators with a suicide plan (41.8% vs. 32.6%, χ21= 4.0, p = .046) and a non-significantly higher prevalence of attempts among ideators without a plan (9.0% vs. 8.0%, χ21= 0.3, p = .59). Despite this low rate of unplanned suicide attempts, it is important to note that unplanned (presumably impulsive) attempts constitute 37.7% of all attempts in developed countries and 29.4% in developing countries.
