Citation

Manion T, Akinyemi A, Nooraddini I, Haile E. Suicidol. Online 2012; 3: 131-137.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, The author(s), Publisher Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper analyzes the characteristics and precipitating circumstances of Maryland resident suicide deaths between 2003 and 2009. All variables are compared across four age groups: 19 and younger, 20-34, 35- 64, and 65 and older. Multiple significant differences were observed between the age groups, including cause of death and post-mortem toxicology. Most notable, however, were the differences in precipitating circumstances. Suicides in the youngest age group were most likely to be attributed to a school problem or a non-intimate partner interpersonal problem. Conversely, suicides in the 20-34 and 35-64 age groups were primarily due to occupational or financial issues. Finally, physical health issues and the recent death of a friend or family member seemed to contribute most to elder suicides. These age discrepancies illustrate the need to target suicide prevention to different ages, rather than assessing suicide victims as a singular homogenous group. More focused research and targeted prevention measures would make more efficient use of the limited resources available in this field.

Keywords: Suicide, Violent Death Reporting System, Maryland, Epidemiology

Copyrights belong to the Author(s). Suicidology Online (SOL) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal publishing under the Creative Commons License 3.0.

Language: en