Study on Pattern of Suicides in Malaysian and Indian Capital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/Keywords:
Suicide, Pattern of Suicides, Tri-centre, Hanging, Poisoning, BurningAbstract
This report focuses on patterns of suicide in tri-centre setting. The autopsy records from the Forensic Department of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Kuala Lumpur, Forensic Department of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Department of Forensic and Toxicology, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi were analysed retrospectively.. Data was reviewed from January 2001 to December 2005. 1,866 cases were analysed with regard to age, gender, ethnicity and religion. Our study concludes that methods of committing suicide such as hanging, fall from height, poisoning, burning, cutting wrists or throat and gunshot wounds vary in magnitude at the above two centres. In UMMC fall from height (43%) was the most common method of committing suicide with most victims coming from the age group of 21- 30 yearswhereas in HKL poisoning (53%) was the most common method of committing suicide with most victims coming from the age group of 31-40 years. While, at UCMS burning (45%) was the most common method with most victims coming from the age group of 21-30 years (23%). At UCMS, suicide was slightly higher amongst females (52%) as compared to males who committed suicide, by burning one’s self/ self-immolation (33%) which was the most common method, whereas more males were involved in suicide at both UMMC (69%) and HKL (85%) with hanging (33%) and poisoning (48%) as the most prevalent methods respectively. Most of the suicide cases in UMMC (40%) and HKL (37%) involved the Chinese with hanging (16%) and poisoning (15%) as the preferred methods respectively. At UCMS, majority of victims of suicide were Hindus (82%) with burning oneself/ self-immolation (35%) as the most common method, while at HKL, majority of suicide victims belonged to Buddhists religion (37%) with poisoning (15%) as the most common method.
Downloads
References
www.ncrb.nic.in, accessed Jan. 9, 2008.
Borwsky IW, Ireland M, Resnick MD. Adolescent suicide attempts, risks, protection. Pediatr 2001;107:485–493.
Grossman DC, Reay DT, Baker SA. Self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children and adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1999;153:857.
Weinberger LE, Sreenivasan S, Sathyavagiswarn L, Markowitz E. Child and adolescent suicide in a large, urban area: psychological, demographic and situational factors. J Forensic Sci 2001;46:902–907.
Verma SK, Kishore U. Combined suicide: an unusual case of self-immolation followed by attempted self-strangulation and successful partial hanging. Ind Med Gazette 1999;113:387–379.
Elfawal MA. Cultural influences on the incidence and choice of method in Saudi Arabia. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1999;20:163–168.
Ng DWL, Lau G. Suicide trends in Singapore: Two decades down the road. Med Sci Law 2003;43:141–147.
Azmak AD. Suicides in Trakya region, Turkey, from 1984–2004. Med Sci Law 2006;46:19–30.
Byard RW, Klitte A, Gilbert JD. Changing pattern of female suicide: 1986–2000. J Clin Forensic Med 2004;11:123–128.
Lalwani S, Sharma GS, Kabra SK, Girdhar S, Dogra TD. Suicide among children and adolescents in South Delhi (1991–2000). Indian J Pediatr 2004;71:701–703.
Cliona M, Denis AC. A study of suicides in Kildare, 1995–2002. J Clin Forensic Med 2004;11:289–298.
Schmidt P, Muller R, Dettmeyer R, Madea B. Suicide in child, adolescent and young adults. Forensic Sci Int 2002;127:161–167.
Lee CJ, Collins KA, Burgess SE. Suicide under the age of eighteen: A 10-year retrospective study. Am J For Med Path 1997;20:23–30.
Fimate L, Meera Th. A study of suicide in Manipur. International J Med Toxicol Legal Med 2001;3:27–29.
World Health Organisation. Prevention of Suicide: Guidelines for Formulation and Implementation of National Strategies. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 1996.
Havasi B, Magori K, Toth A, Kiss L. Fatal suicide cases from 1991 to 2000 in Szeged, Hungary. Forensic Sci Int 2005;147
–S28.
Gatter K, Bowen DAL. A study of suicide autopsies 1957–1977. Med Sci Law 1980;20:37–41.
Pounder DJ. Changing patterns of male suicide in Scotland. Forensic Sci Int 1991;51:79–87.
Cantor C, Neulinger K. The epidemiology of suicide and suicide attempts among Australians. Aust NZ J Psych 2000;34:378–387.
Leth P, Hart-Madsen M. Suicide by self-incineration. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1997;18:113–118.
