Citation

Shankar BSU, Sujatha PL, Shivakumar BC. J. Ind. Acad. Forensic Med. 2018; 40(1): 38-46.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

10.5958/0974-0848.2018.00006.4

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The study of "Profile of suicides amongst autopsies" was carried out at a tertiary care centre over a period of 36 months with aims to identify methods and reasons of suicides and to correlate them with age and sex. A total of 357 cases fulfilled the criteria. The most vulnerable age group was 21-30 years (30.4 %); males (64 %) outnumbered females; 275 cases (77 %) were due to hanging and 73 (20 %) due to poisoning, 6 (2 %) and 3 (1 %) due to burns and drowning, respectively. More victims died in morning hours (29%), followed by night (27%). 47 cases (13%) had consumed alcohol, more prevalent in 31-40 year age group (21 cases). Hesitation cuts were seen in 11 cases (3%) and previous attempts of suicide in 7 cases (2%) were more prevalent in 21-30 year age group. Depression (42 cases) was the commonest reason for suicide and was more prevalent in the 21- 30 year age group. Chronic illness/pain (29 cases), conflicts with spouses and debt/loss (23 cases) were the other main reasons; few were due to exam/love failure, being single and financial difficulties. Efforts to increase social interaction in depressed and isolated individuals especially in 21-30 year age, treating mental disorders such as depression, drug and alcohol addiction and those who have attempted suicide in past with cognitive behavioral therapy are recommended. Thus this study emphasizes that psychological autopsy is the gold standard in reconstructing proximate and distal causes of an individual's death by suicide. © 2018, Shaheed-e-Azam Press.

Language: en

Keywords

Depression; Suicide; Hanging; Poison