Common Methods Of Suicide Research Articles

Suicide by different methods in Toronto: A quantitative study examining of 23-years of coronial records

The objective of the study is to understand the characteristics of people who died by different suicide methods in Toronto, Canada. Suicide cases were identified by the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario (1998–2020). Demographic and clinical variables were retrieved. All suicide deaths were classified into different groups based on suicide method. Bivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regressions were performed to compare their demographic and clinical characteristics. Hanging (N = 1721), jumping from height (N = 1280), and poisoning (N = 955) were the most common suicide methods in Toronto. Those who died by hanging were more likely to be married or in common law relationships, live with others, experience employment/financial/academic-related stressors and die at home. People who died by jumping from height had a higher likelihood of having a psychiatric and/or emergency department visit in the past week and having schizophrenia or related disorders/symptoms. People who died by poisoning had higher odds of being female and leaving suicide notes. They were also more likely to have previous suicide attempts, experience depression and/or bipolar disorder and have physical conditions. Specific suicide prevention strategies should be designed and implemented to account both for commonalities and differences among people who die by different suicide methods.

Risk factors and methods in suicides of elderly patients connected to mental health services from 1999-2024.

Suicide prevention is an important aspect of psychiatric care, with older men being a population identified at especially high suicide risk and a recent increase in suicides among older women. Using data collected by the region's quality assurance team, we examined all suicide deaths occurring between March 1999 and February 2024 in patients aged 60 years or older who were connected to the region's Addiction and Mental Health Program at the time of death. Data were analyzed to describe which factors were most commonly identified in suicides in older adults receiving mental healthcare. We also compared male and female cases to determine whether certain factors were more commonly observed in one gender. We identified 48 cases of suicide occurring in patients aged 60 or over. 60% of suicides occurred in males. Overdose and hanging were the most common suicide methods used, and all suicides occurring on inpatient units occurred via hanging. Depression was the most common diagnosis, and was diagnosed more frequently in suicides of female older adults. A greater proportion of suicides in older women were associated with previous history of suicide attempts. Our findings support many current best practices for suicide prevention in psychiatric care, including minimizing ligatures and anchor points on inpatient settings, assessing for and limiting access to means in individuals at-risk, and assessing suicide risk in hospitalized patients prior to passes and discharge. Recognition and treatment of depression remain important aspects in the treatment of older adults to prevent suicide.

Substance use and self-poisoning in schizophrenia: 11-year findings from a national clinical survey of suicide in mental health patients in the UK

Suicide is the leading cause of unnatural death among people with schizophrenia. Substance use is a highly prevalent comorbid feature of schizophrenia and a modifiable risk factor for suicide. However, no studies have examined changes in the frequency of substance use or self-poisoning in those who died by suicide over time. Knowing this could support more tailored approaches to reducing specific risk factors and access to means in those with schizophrenia who are at risk of suicide. We conducted an 11-year observational study on a clinical survey of people with schizophrenia in the UK who died by suicide within 12 months of contact with mental health services between 2010 and 2020 (n = 2718). Overall, alcohol, cannabis and stimulants were the most frequently reported substances. The odds of lifetime use significantly increased over time for cannabis, stimulants, heroin, and benzodiazepines. There were differences in socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical factors between those with recent and historical alcohol and drug use before death. Deaths by hanging, jumping and self-poisoning were the most common suicide methods. Though deaths by hanging significantly increased over time, deaths by self-poisoning significantly decreased, especially by means of psychotropic medication and opioids. To improve risk management, clinical efforts should focus on identifying and treating people with schizophrenia using specific substances. Nationwide initiatives for improving safety in prescribing could be contributing to reduced risks of suicide via self-poisoning in this group.

Assessing the knot in a noose position by thyrohyoid and cervical spine fracture patterns in suicidal hangings using machine learning algorithms: A new insight into old dilemmas

Hanging is one of the most common suicide methods worldwide. Neck injuries that occur upon such neck compression – fractures of the thyrohyoid complex and cervical spine, occupy forensic pathologists for a long time. However, research failed to identify particular patterns of these injuries corresponding to the force distribution a ligature applies to the neck: the issue of reconstructing the knot in a noose position persists. So far, machine learning (ML) models were not utilized to classify knot positions and reconstruct this event. We conducted a single-institutional, retrospective study on 1235 autopsy cases of suicidal hanging, developed several ML models, and assessed their classification performance in a stepwise manner to discriminate between: 1. typical (‘posterior) and atypical (‘anterior’ and ‘lateral’) hangings, 2. anterior and lateral hangings, and 3. left and right lateral hangings. The variable coding was based on the presence/absence of fractures of greater hyoid bone horns (GHH), superior thyroid cartilage horns (STH), and cervical spine. Subject age was considered. The models’ parameters were optimized by the Genetic Algorithm. The accuracy of ML models in the first step was very modest (c. 60%) but increased subsequently: Multilayer Perceptron – Artificial Neural Network and k-Nearest Neighbors performed excellently discriminating between left and right lateral hangings (accuracy 91.8% and 90.6%, respectively). The latter is of great importance for clarifying probable hanging fracture biomechanics. Alongside the conventional inferential statistical analysis we performed, our results further indicate the association of the knot position with ipsilateral GHH and contralateral STH fractures in lateral hangings. Moreover, odds for unilateral GHH fracture, simultaneous GHH and STH fractures, and cervical spine fracture were significantly higher in atypical (‘anterior’ and ‘lateral’) hangings, compared to typical (‘posterior’) hangings.

Modern suicide trend from internet

IntroductionThe most common suicide methods vary slightly from country to country, partly related to the availability of effective means. Societal development over the years and especially the advent of the Internet has enabled the sudden spread of new suicide methods. Recently, especially since 2019, intentional sodium nitrite poisoning has appeared on many social networks as an increasingly popular method of suicide. Material and MethodsThere was performed a retrospective-prospective study of the autopsy protocols of the Medico-Legal Departments of the Healthcare Surveillance Authority in Slovakia, in a period of 15 years (2008–2022). We performed the analysis of cases of death due to nitrite poisoning, focusing on cases of intentional self-harm. In all selected cases, we present complete information, including photo documentation from the place of death, as well as the results of the performed autopsy and the results of additional laboratory examinations. ResultsWe did not record any fatal cases of unintentional, accidental consumption of sodium nitrite in Slovakia, nor any fatal cases of homicidal poisoning by this substance. However, there were three cases of intentional self-harm (completed suicide) by sodium nitrite poisoning (in 2019, 2020 and 2022). ConclusionsThe correct diagnosis of the cases of sodium nitrite poisoning deaths is possible only based on evaluating all the information obtained, a thorough examination of the body and the crime scene, and the correct interpretation of the findings found during a subsequent autopsy and the results of the toxicological analysis.

A Study Investigating Factors Related to Self-Immolation and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Women of Reproductive Ages

Background: Self-immolation is one of the most common methods of suicide among Iranian women. This study was designed and conducted to investigate factors related to self-immolation and its association with depression, anxiety, and stress in women of reproductive age.
 Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was performed on self-immolated women admitted to the burn ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia during the years 2021-2020 the nineteen women of reproductive ages were included in the study through convenience and census. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and DASS-21.
 Results: The average age of the participants in this project was 29.57 ± 7.79 years. About half of the women lived in rural areas and lived in the house of their father-in-law and lived with him. And the wife's family stated. Most of them were married, housewives and Kurdish speakers had low incomes and economic status and undergraduate education, and most of them had set themselves on fire with oil. 89.5% of the participants had severe depression, 94.5% had severe anxiety, and 52.6% had severe stress.
 Conclusion: This study showed that the rate of depression, anxiety, and stress is high in women who have attempted suicide by self-immolation. It is suggested that special measures be taken to reform the culture of the northwestern region of the country to perhaps reduce the burden of the problems of women in this region.

Epidemiology of Suicide in the Relief Missions in the Pre-Hospital Emergency System of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences During 2019-2021

Background: Mazandaran Province is one of the provinces with a high suicide rate. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the epidemiology of relief missions following suicide in the pre-hospital emergency system of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted from September 2019 to 2021 in the pre-hospital emergency department of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Statistical information related to the missions carried out after suicide was extracted using the data contained in the emergency national mission form recorded in Asayar software. According to the questionnaire, demographic information including age, gender, accident location, time, method of suicide, as well as mission outcome were extracted. To examine the results, frequency percentage, Mean±SD were used, and to examine the qualitative variables, the Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were used. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 26 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). A significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: In this study, 712(53.7%) were men and 615(46.3%) were women. The mean age of patients was 32.12±2.03 years. Fisher›s exact test revealed a statistically significant relationship between age groups and suicide methods (P=0.02). The Chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between the suicide method and gender. According to the results of this test, a statistically significant relationship was observed between gender and suicide methods (P=0.00). The most common methods of suicide among clients were drug poisoning (32.1%), other cases (30.06%), and self-harm (20.6%), respectively. The highest frequency of suicide attempts occurred between evening and night among 497 people (37.5%) in terms of accident time. Conclusion: Young and productive age groups are among the most vulnerable groups among suicides. Men died about five times more than women after committing suicide in a pre-hospital emergency room. According to the results, more planning is required regarding mental health self-care education in families and schools, implementation of psychological counseling, diagnosis, and prompt treatment in vulnerable groups.

Suicide among doctors in Turkey: Differences across gender, medical specialty and the method of suicide.

Doctors have higher rates of mental illness and suicide than the general population worldwide. Suicides of doctors are known to be underreported in developing countries. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies investigating suicides among medical students and doctors in Turkey. To investigate the characteristics of suicides in medical school students and doctors in Turkey. In this retrospective study, newspaper websites and Google search engine were searched for information on medical school student and doctor suicides in Turkey between 2011 and 2021. Cases of suicide attempt, parasuicide or deliberate self-harm were not included in the study. Sixty-one suicides were reported between 2011-2021. There was a male predominance (45 (73.8%)), and more than half of the suicides (32 (52.5%)) occurred among specialist doctors. Self-poisoning, jumping from heights and firearms were the most common methods of suicide (18 (29.5%), 17 (27.9%) and 15 (24.6%), respectively). Cardiovascular surgery, family medicine, gynecology, and obstetrics specialties had the highest numbers of suicide deaths. Depression/mental illness was the most common speculated etiology. These results show that suicides among medical students and doctors in Turkey have characteristics that differ from both suicided among the general population in Turkey and doctor suicides in other countries. In this study, we identified the suicidal characteristics of medical students and doctors in Turkey for the first time. The results help us to better understand this understudied topic and provide an avenue for future studies. The data also indicate that it is important to monitor the individual and systemic difficulties experienced by doctors, starting from the medical education stage, and to provide individual and environmental support to help decrease the risk of suicide.

DEATH DUE TO DELAYED COMPLICATION IN HANGING - A CASE REPORT

Hanging is one of the most common methods of painless suicide in India. Hanging is a form of asphyxia which is caused by the suspension of the body by a ligature encircling the neck, where the constricting force is the weight of the body. In most cases of hanging cases, the death of the individual occurs immediately or the usual average period is about 3 to 5 minutes. Causes of death in case of hanging are asphyxia, venous congestion, cerebral ischemia, carotid compression or fracture of vertebrae resulting in penetration into the spinal cord. In this article, the authors report a rare case of a 19-year-old male individual, who attempted suicide by hanging, survived for 7 days in ICU in an unconscious state and then died after the best efforts of the ICU team. Delayed death in hanging can be due to aspiration pneumonia, oedematous or haemorrhagic swelling of pharyngeal tissues or aryepiglottic folds, emphysema, infections, oedema of the larynx, lungs and brain pathology like an abscess, hypoxic encephalopathy, infarction and softening. In post-mortem examination, the doctor must remove the ligating material after carefully preserving the knot, and look for any marks of injury or struggle that may suggest the violence leading to strangulation. Prolonged resuscitative measures must be tried in all the victims of attempted hanging, and a guarded prognosis must be described.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.

Gender differences in suicide in Serbia within the period 2016-2020

Background/Aim. About one million suicide deaths occur worldwide annually, which indicates the importance of this problem. The aim of the study was to give an overview of the status of gender differences in suicides committed in Serbia from 2016 to 2020 and to highlight the most important trends over the past ten years. This investigation continues the previous one from the period 2011?2016. Methods. The same method was used as in previous investigations with data obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, estimating gender differences for the total number of suicides, suicide rates, sociodemographic characteristics of suicidal victims, and methods of suicide. Results. Within the period 2016?2020, 4,752 suicides in Serbia were committed; among them, 75.1% were males (m) and 24.9% females (f) ? m : f = 3 : 1. The annual suicide rate showed a constant decrease from 2016 to 2020, and in 2020, it was the lowest (13 per 100,000 inhabitants). Married men (43.4%) and widowed women (38.6%), retired, with secondary education most often committed suicide. About a quarter (24.5%) of suicide committers were older than 75, and 42.6% were older than 65 years. Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation were the most common suicide methods ? 64% (m) and 54.9% (f). Conclusion. In the last decade, the suicide rate continued to decrease in Serbia year by year. Within the period 2016?2020, the m/f ratio of suicide rate in the age differences varied from 2 .4 in the oldest group (older than 75 years) to 9.1 in the group of adolescents. The Suicide Prevention Program in Serbia should be primarily targeted at two age groups at the highest risk of committing suicide, the old adult population and male adolescents. A comprehensive state prevention program should include education for general practitioners for early detection of high-risk individuals to provide them with psychiatric care, including support for suicide survivors.

Trends in suicide methods in Switzerland from 1969 to 2018: an observational study

Suicide is a serious societal and health problem. We examined changes in rates of completed suicides in Switzerland between 1969-2018 with particular regard to different methods of suicide used in different subgroups of the resident population. We used data of the Swiss cause of death statistics and Poisson regression models to analyse annual incidence rates and calendar time trends of specific suicide methods used in population subgroups by sex (men vs women), age (10-29, 30-64, >64 years), and nationality (Swiss vs other citizenship). There were 64,996 registered suicides between 1969 and 2018. Across these 5 decades, the overall suicide rate was higher in men than in women (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.58-2.67), in Swiss citizens than in foreigners (IRR 2.02; 95% CI 1.97-2.07), and in older residents (>64 years) than in the age groups 30-64 years (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.32-1.37) and 10-29 years (IRR 2.37, 95% CI 2.32-2.43). After peaking in the 1980s, the overall suicide rate had declined in all of these population subgroups, with flattening trends over most recent years. The most common specific methods of suicide were hanging (accounting for 26.7% of all suicides) and firearms (23.6%). The rates of the specific suicide methods were usually higher in men, in Swiss citizens and in older residents, and they had typically declined over most recent decades in the population subgroups examined. However, some methods diverged from this general pattern, at least in some population subgroups. For instance, railway suicides most recently increased in younger and in male residents whereas suicides by gas and by drowning were only at a low level after rapid declines in the last millennium. Restricting access to lethal means (e.g., detoxification of domestic gas), improvements in health care and media guidelines for responsible reporting of suicides are possible explanations for the generally declining suicide rates in Switzerland. Whereas some methods (e.g., poisoning by gases or drowning) had become rare, others continue to account for many suicides every year, at least in some population subgroups (e.g., firearms in older Swiss men or railway suicides in younger and in male residents). As different methods of suicide are chosen by different people or subgroups of the population, preventive efforts should include differentiated strategies and targeted measures to further reduce suicides in Switzerland and elsewhere.

Retrospective Study of Ligature Material on Suicidal Hanging

Background: Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide. It is always suicidal unless otherwise proved. Recent evidence showed that the incidence of suicide by hanging has increased especially among young adults. Ligature material plays an important role in leading investigation in hanging. The ligature material depends on its accessibility and availability. Various ligature materials are being used like nylon rope, cotton rope, wire, synthetic saree, lungi etc.
 Objective: Present study is a humble effort to find out the choice of ligature material used by the victim at Dhaka Medical College.
 Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the mortuary of Forensic medicine department, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2017 to December 2018. During this period data were collected from 112 cases of medicolegal autopsies by purposive sampling.
 Result: A total of 112 medicolegal autopsies were analyzed. In this hanging death, the most common ligature material used was rope in 58% of cases followed by dupatta (13%), lungi (11%) and saree (9%). Electric wire and kamiz were other ligature material used for hanging. The consistency of ligature material observed was hard (71%) & width is narrow width is (71%). Majority of cases (71%) were observed is male. Complete hanging was seen in 67% of cases & among them 85% cases are atypical hanging.
 Conclusion: Hanging is always suicidal unless otherwise proved. It is the form of painless violent asphyxia death that is widely practiced method of suicide. The most used ligature material is rope. Rope is chosen as ligature material due to its availability and accessibility. Young people in the justice system may need personal and psychological support to reduce the incidence of suicide.
 Eastern Med Coll J. Jan 2023; 8 (1) 12-14

Common Methods of Suicide and Self-Inflicted Poisoning/Injury by Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis.

Objective: Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are at increased risk of suicide. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of different methods of suicide and self-inflicted poisoning/injury in individuals with MDD or BD. Methods: This study used a US National Inpatient Sample dataset from years 2012–2015. Data were collected from discharge records of patients aged ≥ 18 years admitted for MDD or BPD. The prevalence of different methods of suicide and self-inflicted poisoning/injury was evaluated. Highly prevalent subtypes of depression and bipolar disorder among the 2 groups were investigated, and psychiatric comorbidities were compared. Results: We identified 13,556 unweighted records of patients admitted to the hospital for MDD diagnosis, and 6,506 unweighted records of patients admitted for BD diagnosis. Suicide and self-inflicted poisoning/injury by cutting instrument was highly prevalent among both groups, with a greater prevalence among patients with BD compared to MDD (35.5% vs 30.8%, P < .001). Use of tranquilizers/other psychotropic agents (29.2% vs 29.4%, P = .72) and other specified drugs and medicinal substances (14.3% vs 14.0%, P = .546) was high among both groups; however, there was no significant difference. Analgesics (16.7% vs 11%, P = .000), other sedatives and hypnotics (4.9% vs 3.7%, P < .001), other and unspecified solid and liquid substances (3.9% vs 3.3%, P = .037), and hanging by strangulation and suffocation (3.7% vs 2.5%, P < .001) were more prevalent in patients in the MDD group. Conclusions: The results indicate that it is critical to investigate and understand the methods used by individuals with MDD and BD to commit suicide. Restricting access to the most prevalent forms of self-injury could be a practical suicide prevention approach.

How Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility Affects Suicidal Risk in Patients With Dementia: A Systematic Review.

This study aims to review the current literature regarding the association between suicide risk in patients aged 65 years or over with dementia residing in long-term care facilities (LTCs). We also evaluate the most common methods of suicide and protective versus risk factors of nursing home (NH) life on suicide behavior in patients with dementia.Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we performed a systematic review of the relevant free full-text articles found in PubMed, Pub Psych, Cochrane library, and Science Direct up until April 4, 2022. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and keywords (nursing home, long-term care facility, suicide, self-injurious behavior, dementia), were used to search for full-text randomized clinical trials (RCTs), cross-sectional, case-control, cohort studies, systematic reviews, and studies published in the English language in the last 12 years, focused on human subjects 65 years and older were selected based on predefined eligibility criteria. The search yielded 57,909 articles, of which 12 studies met our inclusion criteria. The articles were subjected to quality appraisal by two reviewers. We used the Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) for quality assessment with a mean score of six for 12 observational studies used in this paper.Of the included reports, six were cross-sectional, five were cohort, and one was case-control. Four articles carefully examine the relationship between dementia and suicide, and all confirm the hypothesis that staying in LTCs reduces the risk of suicide in patients with dementia. However, the rest of the articles generally determine a higher risk of suicide in demented patients and describe male gender, non-Hispanic white race, younger age, newly diagnosed with dementia within one-year, mild dementia, comorbidities, depression, previous history of suicidal behavior, low social support and unstable family relationship as the risk factors of suicide in this population. In comparison, extended stay in NHs and other kinds of LTCs, severe dementia with impaired insight, older age, comorbid schizophrenia, physical disability with limitation and more difficulty preparing and executing a suicide plan, positive and robust social relationships, access to professional caregivers and high frequency of visits from relatives marked as the protective factors.Existing research on suicide risk in long-term care facility residents with dementia is limited. However, due to the increase in dementia rates that require people to reside in NHs and on the other hand, considering the multiple risk factors of suicide in the elderly living in such places, the need for a screening system for identifying people at suicide risk and performing preventive therapeutic and behavioral interventions is well felt.

Suicide &amp; Its Prevention

Suicide is the intentional infliction of death on oneself. It is the leading cause of death on the planet. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 19-year-olds. 79 percent of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Ingestion of pesticides, hanging, and the use of firearms are among the most common methods of suicide in the world. India's suicide rate increased to 230,314 in 2016. Suicide was the leading cause of mortality in both the 15–29 and 15–39 year age groups. Over 800,000 people die by suicide every year around the world, with 135,000 (17%) of them being Indian citizens, who make up 17.5 percent of the global population. Every year, significantly more people try to commit suicide than actually do so. A past suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. In 2012, Tamil Nadu had the highest suicide rate (12.5%), followed by Maharashtra (11.9%) and West Bengal (10.1%). (11.0 percent). In 2012, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had the highest suicide rates per 100,000 people among states with large populations. Male suicides outnumber female suicides roughly 2:1 in India. Suicides are estimated to number in the millions in India. For example, a study published in The Lancet predicted 187,000 suicides in India in 2010, despite the Indian government's official statistics claiming 134,600 suicides in the same year. According to WHO data, India's age-standardized suicide rate for women is 16.4 per 100,000 (6th highest in the world) and for males is 25.8 per 100,000 (22nd).

U Kapaydiman nu Kaydian a Ivatan: Suicide Cases in the Province of Batanes

Suicide has received attention in the global public health arena and its effect has a prolonged-lasting psychological trauma on friends and relatives. This prompted the researchers to systematically analyze the possible underreporting of suicide cases, particularly in the province of Batanes. There are no studies of trends in the incidence of suicide that have been undertaken in the province. Thus, it aimed to provide a complete picture of the problem's size and facilitate better-informed decisions concerning prevention priorities such as high-risk age or sex groups and the most common suicide methods. The study used a descriptive research design and inventory questionnaires to gather data from six (6) municipal civil registrars from the different municipalities in the province of Batanes. Based on the results, causes of death are asphyxiation, gunshot, and alcohol intoxication, and the municipality with the highest committed cases is Basco, Batanes. Additionally, males are more inclined to commit suicide than females, and young and middle-aged individuals have more committed self-inflicted cases than older people. It has also been found that suicide cases have risen from 2010 to the present.

Suicide in the Province of Foggia: Retrospective Study and Analysis of the Difference between Men and Women

Background: Suicide is a significant cause of mortality affecting each age, gender, and country. In 2018, the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) estimated that 3820 people committed suicide, with the highest incidence in males between 35 and 64 years old. The present study aims to report and analyze the data relating to suicides collected by the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Foggia compared to the data presented in the literature. Methods: The present study represents a retrospective analysis of crime scene investigations and autopsies records relating to all suicides from January 2015 to December 2021 referred to the archives of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Foggia. The analyzed features were: the sex of the victim, method of suicide, age, the season of death, and presence of psychiatric or addiction history. Results: We selected 226 cases of suicide during the period from January 2015 to December 2021, from a total of 1184 deceases. 78% of the victims are men of average age; the most common methods of suicide are hanging and precipitation. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the importance of personalized and gender-specific interventions and can inform policy-makers in the development of provincial suicide prevention plans and public health interventions. Studying suicidality in a well-defined population can help implement targeted interventions.

Patterns of death among migrant domestic workers in Jordan: retrospective analysis of 63 cases in a tertiary hospital

BackgroundThis article examines the patterns of death in migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Jordan. Abuse and difficult circumstances may lead to attempts to escape, neglect, or suicide, but the current literature on death in this population is limited. We systematically explored all medico-legal cases of MDW deaths referred between 2006 and 2016 to the forensic department of one of the main tertiary medical centers in Jordan.ResultsSixty-three recorded cases of MDWs death were found. Forty-seven (74.6%) died due to unnatural causes, 15 (23.8%) died naturally, and 1 (1.6%) was undetermined. The rate of suspected suicide comprised 58.3% of unnatural deaths. The most common methods of suicide were hanging and falling from a height.ConclusionsThis study shows high rates of unnatural death among MDWs in Jordan, many of which with suspicious circumstances. It also indicates that natural deaths are largely attributed to preventable causes. Future studies should include other referral sites (hospitals and forensics departments), to better address the complexity and magnitude of this population’s death circumstances, gain a comprehensive understanding of their issues, and work toward finding a solution. We recommend that special attention is given to MDWs in Jordan and the region to protect their rights on all levels.

Unusual cases of suicidal electrocution using a homemade device.

The common methods of suicide are hanging and poisoning. Suicidal electrocution using a homemade device is very rare. Victims usually possess knowledge of electrical circuits. Here, we report two cases of suicide by electrocution using a homemade device. Case 1: A retired electrical technician was found unresponsive in his bedroom, with two bare copper wires; one encircling the index finger of the left hand, and the other placed in the mouth. The other ends of the wires were connected to a wall plug supplying 220 V current. Forensic autopsy and microscopic findings attributed death to suicidal electrocution.Case 2: A 51-year-old-man was found dead in the bathroom with bare copper wires encircling both wrists and connected to a wall plug carrying 220 V current. Death scene investigation, necropsy, histological tests and toxicological screening indicated suicide by electrocution.