Abstract
ObjectiveInformation on factors associated with suicide among young individuals in Ireland is limited. The aim of this study was to identify socio-demographic characteristics and circumstances of death associated with age among individuals who died by suicide.MethodsThe study examined 121 consecutive suicides (2007–2012) occurring in the southern eastern part of Ireland (Cork city and county). Data were obtained from coroners, family informants, and health care professionals. A comparison was made between 15-24-year-old and 25-34-year-old individuals. Socio-demographic characteristics of the deceased, methods of suicide, history of alcohol and drug abuse, and findings from toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples taken at post mortem were included. Pearson’s χ2 tests and binary logistic regression analysis were performed.ResultsAlcohol and/or drugs were detected through toxicological analysis for the majority of the total sample (79.5%), which did not differentiate between 15-24-year-old and 25-34-year-old individuals (74.1% and 86.2% respectively). Compared to 25-34-year-old individuals, 15-24-year-old individuals were more likely to engage in suicide by hanging (88.5%). Younger individuals were less likely to die by intentional drug overdose and carbon monoxide poisoning compared to older individuals. Younger individuals who died between Saturday and Monday were more likely to have had alcohol before dying. Substance abuse histories were similar in the two age groups.ConclusionBased on this research it is recommended that strategies to reduce substance abuse be applied among 25-34-year-old individuals at risk of suicide. The wide use of hanging in young people should be taken into consideration for future means restriction strategies.
Highlights
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with approximately 800,000 suicides occurring in 2012 [1]
The present study revealed the rate of alcohol by toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples taken at post mortem among young people and adults, which is in line with a previous systematic review [51] that identified a range of 10–69% of alcohol present in the toxicology of people who had died by suicide
This study reveals that young people who died by suicide were more likely to die by hanging and between Saturday and Monday
Summary
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with approximately 800,000 suicides occurring in 2012 [1]. The problem of suicide is even more pronounced among people aged 15–29, with suicide representing the second leading cause of death and accounting for 8.5% of all deaths in this age group [1]. In Ireland, where the present study was conducted, the most recently available figures on suicide refer to the year 2013, when 487 people died by suicide, representing a rate of 10.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. Suicide methods and age Worldwide, in terms of methods of suicide, hanging is the most common method, with the highest prevalence in Eastern European countries, where up to 90% of men and 80% of women who die by suicide use this means [4]. With regard to young people, in most of the European and the Australasian countries hanging is the most prevalent method among men [5]. With regard to possible reasons for the preference for hanging as a method of suicide, Biddle et al [8] have shown that the main reasons influencing the decision to choose hanging, as reported by those who attempted hanging, are the conviction that this method is rapid, painless and “clean”, not damaging the body or leaving harrowing images for others, together with the accessibility of this method
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