Citation

Emmanuel MK, Campbell MH. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2012; 40(4): 469-471.

Affiliation

MB, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. e.maisha@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

23233466

Abstract

With the exception of Guyana and Trinidad, suicide rates in the Caribbean are relatively low compared with those in other countries. Homicide rates, however, have increased over the past 15 years, especially in Jamaica and Trinidad. The link between suicide, homicide, and homicide followed by suicide (H-S) is not well established. A newspaper review of H-S events in a selection of Caribbean territories revealed a surprising number of these events. Characteristics of perpetrators were similar to those documented in the literature. The authors agree with Roma et al. that national tracking systems for H-S are needed. Empirical research on this topic in the Caribbean is also desperately needed.

Language: en