Latvia's mental health death rates a cause for concern

Latvia's figures are a cause for concern when compared with many EU peers, particularly with regard to mental health and alcohol use. 

The leading cause of death from mental and behavioural disorders was dementia, which accounted for 84% of all deaths from mental and behavioural disorders in the EU in 2021. Latvia was the only country to record a death rate of more than 1 (1.1) per 100 000 of population from dementia among persons aged under 65 years.

The second leading cause of death from mental and behavioural disorders across the EU in 2021 was due to the use of alcohol.

The use of alcohol accounted for 61% of all deaths from mental and behavioural disorders among people aged less than 65 years in the EU. Latvia reported the highest standardised death rate from mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of alcohol in this age group (9.1 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants aged less than 65 years), while Slovenia had the highest rate for people aged 65 years or over (46.3 deaths per 100 000 elderly inhabitants). 

Latvia also recorded the fourth-highest rate of deaths from intentional self-harm (suicides) among males behind Slovenia, Lithuania and Hungary. The suicide rate among Latvian men is 8 times higher than the rate among women – the biggest difference recorded.

Relative to population size, Germany recorded the highest number of in-patient discharges for mental and behavioural disorders in 2021, with 1 463 discharges per 100 000 inhabitants. Latvia, Finland, Austria and France were the other countries recording more than 1 000 in-patient discharges for mental and behavioural disorders per 100 000 inhabitants.  

Relative to the population size, the highest number of discharges from mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol and/or psychoactive substance use was reported in Latvia with 485.7 hospital discharges per 100 000 inhabitants.

However, it does at least seem that those in need of psychiatric care in Latvia have a better than average chance of finding a bed in a hospital with the country ranking third in the EU for this provision.