Citation

Thomsen JL. Sci. Justice 1996; 36(2): 89-92.

Affiliation

University Institute of Forensic Science, Odense, Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Forensic Science Society, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S1355-0306(96)72571-6

PMID

8640395

Abstract

A retrospective examination of fatalities was carried out during a five-year period among alcoholics in Copenhagen who had undergone forensic examination. The frequency of mental disease was compared with that among a non-alcoholic control group. In an examination of 2298 deaths, it was found that alcoholics had a higher frequency of unipolar affective disorder and of general "nervousness'. Previous suicide attempts were more frequent in alcoholics, and both alcoholics and controls had a higher frequency of previous suicide attempts among the depressed and those who later committed suicide than among those who did not.

Language: en