Citation

Awasthi C, Singh S. J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2011; 28(1): 15-19.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Department of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Suicide, the desperate last resort to end the agony, actually ends up in loss of life. Suicide is a social taboo often frowned upon, but the truth remains that it's incidence is on the rise.A precious life is lost when it succumbs to hopelessness around it, it leaves a question mark on what could have lead to this extent of anguish, and to what extent a person might have struggled between hope and despair, before ending his life. Suicide which is mostly the result of psychiatric illness is an underreported entity, and represents just tip of prevailing distress in the society. Parasuicide or attempted suicide is a better indicator of mental health of society, attempted suicide being 8-10 times higher than suicide. This study, carried out in a sample of 200 cases admitted in M.L.B. Medical College Hospital, Jhansi from January 2009-january 2010 intends to explore the pattern of parasuicide by the method of semi structured questionnaire. The reasons behind the desperate attempt, the methods adopted to commit suicide. the age, sex, education, marital status, occupational. and socioeconomic profile of all the cases were analyzed. This study reveals higher incidence of attempted suicide in people belonging to lower socioeconomic strata, residing in the rural area, having low level of education. Incidence is higher in the younger age group, female sex, married and persons residing in a nuclear family. History of psychiatric illness was present in 90% of the cases. This study throws light-upon the issues and factors responsible for the prevailing psychic distress in the society ,of which parasuicide isjust a manifestation.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; adult; human; age; Suicide; burn; female; male; aged; alcoholism; poverty; sex difference; suicide attempt; hanging; intoxication; article; major clinical study; rural area; questionnaire; marriage; social status; educational status; employment status; medical history; Parasucide; Pattern of parasuicide