Citation

Canturk G, Canturk N, Teke HY, Erkol Z, Yavuz MS. Turk. Klin. J. Med. Sci. 2010; 30(2): 474-481.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Hekimler Birliği Vakfı)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Objective: Suicides among children and adolescents occur very seldom and only a few case reports and even fewer comprehensive studies are available in the forensic literature. We attempted to investigate socio-demographic characteristics like suicide age, sex, suicide method and cause of suicidal deaths among children and adolescents in Ankara, and to determine the causes of suicides which were preventable. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the autopsy records of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Ankara, where all autopsies requested from the health centres in Ankara and surrounding 17 cities were performed, and the database of the judicial records from 2001 to 2006. The suicide cases were divided into three age groups: 7-10 years, 11-15 years and 16-18 years. Results: There were 114 suicides involving 60 females (52.6%) and 54 males (47.3%) aged between seven and 18 years with a median age of 16.0 years (SD=2.21). The most frequently used suicide method was hanging, followed by firearm injuries with handguns, firearm injuries with rifles, drug intoxication and jumping from a high place. Eighty one point two per cent of intoxication cases aged between 16 and 18 years. However, there was no significant difference in the toxic substance use between the genders. Of all suicide cases, 28 (24.6%) had ethanol in blood. Conclusion: In this study, the number of female suicides was higher than that of male suicides and there were differences in suicide methods, causes of suicides and suicide age, consistent with the results of several other studies from Turkey. Children and adolescents should be prevented from accessing firearms and toxic substances, which will play an important role in prevention of suicides.