Citation

Cantürk 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

10.5336/medsci.2008-9654

PMID

unavailable

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: Were trospectively 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 in to three age groups: 7-10 years, 11-15years and16-18years.

RESULTS: There were 114 suicides involving 60 females(52.6%)and54 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 firearmin juries with handguns, firearm injuries with rifles, drugintoxication and jumping from a highplace. Eighty one point two per cent of intoxication cases aged between 16 and 18 years. How ever, 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. ©2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri.

Language: tr

Keywords

adolescent; Child; adult; human; Adolescent; suicide; Suicide; Autopsy; Death; child; drowning; female; male; alcohol; autopsy; depression; sex difference; psychosis; forensic medicine; hanging; article; major clinical study; gunshot injury; DNA determination; drug intoxication; headache; jumping; age distribution; Turkey (republic); thalassemia; colchicine derivative