Medico-Legal Update

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Suicidal Hanging Pattern: a Retrospective Review


Affiliations
1 Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India
2 Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Suicide is one of the ten leading causes of death in the world (> 400,000 deaths annually). The pattern of suicide and the incidence of suicide vary from country to country and cultural, religious and social values play important role in suicide. Our study's objective is to describe the epidemiology and pattern of suicide by hanging, in central region of Delhi. This five-year (1st January, 2006 to 31st December, 2010) retrospective study is carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. Total 550 (19.89%) deaths of suicide by various means and out of total, 129 (23.45%) deaths were due to hanging. The highest number of suicide by hanging (n=45 cases, 34.88%) was in the age group of 21 to 30 years in both genders. The least number of hangings (n=7, 5.4%) deaths were in those over 50 years. Males (n= 96, 74.41%) outnumber females. The ratio of male to female suicide is 2.9:1. Peak hangings were in July and August (n= 33 cases, 25.58%) and least in May (5 cases, 3.8%). Maximum numbers of suicides were during morning hours (6-10 am) constituted 37 deaths (28.68%).

Keywords

Suicide, Hanging, Autopsy, Incidence
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Adarsh Kumar, Krishan Vij. Trends of poisoning in Chandigarh - A six year autopsy study. Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. 2001; 18(1); 8-11.

  • Aggawal NK, Bhatia MS, Aggarwal BBL. Pattern of suicide in North East Delhi. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry. 1994; 10: 20- 22.

  • Appleby L, Shaw J, Amos T, et al. Safer Services: Report of National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. London: Department of Health; 1999.

  • Appleby L. Suicide in women. Lancet. 2000; 355:1203–1204. 18.

  • Arun M, Yoganarasimha K, Palimar Vikram, Kar Nilamadhab, Mohanty Manoj Kumar. Parasuicide- An approach to the profile of victims. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine .246 JIAFM, 2005: 27 (4). ISSN 0971-0973 2004; 26 (2): 58-61.

  • Benett AT, Collins KA Suicide. A ten year retrospective study. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2000; 45(6): 1256 - 1258.

  • Bernard Knight; Self-inflicted injury, in .Bernard Knight Forensic pathology; II Edition; Arnold publishers, London; 1996: 231

  • Bhatia MS, Aggarwal NK, Aggarwal BBL. Pattern of suicide ideators, attempted suicide & completed suicide in a tertiary care teaching hospital; Indian Practitioner. 1998; 51: 776-780.

  • Canetto SS. Gender and suicide in the elderly. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1992; 22:80 –97.

  • CR Dode & AC Mohanty. Suicides in relation to menstruation; Internatioanl Journal of Medical Toxicology & Legal Medicine. 1999; 1 (2): 12-16.

  • David A Jobes, Alan L Berman & Arnold R Josselson. The impact of psychological autopsies on medical examiners determination of manner of death. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 1986; 31(1): 177-189.

  • Deykin EY. Adolescent suicidal and selfdestructive behaviour: an intervention study. In: Klerman GL, ed. Suicide and Depression among Adolescents and Young Adults. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1986.

  • Editorial, Deccan Herald. 5/9/2001; p. 10. 2.

  • Heikkinen A, Aro H & Lonnquist J; Life events & social support in suicide; suicide & life threatening behaviour. 1993; 23: 343-358.3

  • KE Sadanandan Unni. Human self-destructive behaviour. Text book of Postgraduate Psychiatry. Edited by JN. Vyas & Niraj Ahuja; II Edition; Volume 2; Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, New Delhi. 1999; 527-550.

  • Kerman GL. Clinical epidemiology of suicide. J Clin Psychiatry. 1987; 48(suppl): 33–38.

  • Kevin Gatter, David A, Li. Bowen. A study of suicide autopsies 1957-1977. Medicine Science & Law. 1980; 20 (1): 37

  • Kreitman N. Suicide & Parasuicide in Companion to psychiatric studies Edited by Kendell RE, Zeally AK. Churchill Livingstone, London. 1988; 459-475.

  • Meel BL. A study on incidence of suicide by hanging in the sub-region of Transkei, South Africa. J Clin Forensic Med. 2003; 10:153–157.

  • Meel BL. Determinants of suicide in the Transkei sun-region of South Africa. J Clin Forensic Med. 2003; 10:71–76.

  • National Institute of Mental Health. Frequently asked questions (FAQ): National Institute of Mental health (NIMH), 2001. Available at: http:/ / www.nimh.gov/research/suicidefaq.cfm.

  • Pritchard C. New patterns of suicide by age and gender in the United Kingdom and the Western World 1974–1992: an indicator of social change? Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1996; 31: 227–234.

  • Reza A, Mercy JA, Krug E. Epidemiology of violent deaths in the world: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2001. Availableat: http:// w w w. c d c . g o v / n c i p c / p u b - r e s / epi_of_violence.htm.

  • Sharma BR, Sharma V, Harish D, et al. Suicides in Northern India: causes, methods used and prevention. Med Sci Law. 2003; 43:221–229.

  • Stack S. Suicide: a 15-year review of the sociological literature, part I: culture and economic factors. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2000; 30:145–162.

  • Trivedi JK; Punishing attempted suicide. Anachronism of 20th Century. Editorial. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 1997; 39; 87-89.

  • Tzee Cheng Chao, Danny ST, Basco Chen Bloodworth. Common poisons in Singapore - Past & present. Medicine Science & Law. 1992; 32 (2): 139-147.

  • Unni KES, Rotti SB, Chandrashekharan R. An exploratory study of motivation in suicide attempters; Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 1995; 37; 169-175.

  • Weinberger LE, Sreenivasan W, Gross EA, Markowitz E, Gross BH. Psychological factors in the determination of suicide in self-inflicted Gunshot head wounds. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2000; 45 (4): 815.

  • World Health Organization. International suicide statistics, 1999. Available at: http:// www.befrienders.org/suicide/statistics.htm.

  • World Health Organization. Non-communicable diseases: mental health and injuries, 2002. Available at: http://www.phls.co.uk/hpa/ publications/ SEannrep.pdf


Abstract Views: 670

PDF Views: 8




  • Suicidal Hanging Pattern: a Retrospective Review

Abstract Views: 670  |  PDF Views: 8

Authors

BL Chaudhary
Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India
Pradeep Yadav
Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India
Mukesh Kumar
Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India
Rahul M Band
Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India

Abstract


Suicide is one of the ten leading causes of death in the world (> 400,000 deaths annually). The pattern of suicide and the incidence of suicide vary from country to country and cultural, religious and social values play important role in suicide. Our study's objective is to describe the epidemiology and pattern of suicide by hanging, in central region of Delhi. This five-year (1st January, 2006 to 31st December, 2010) retrospective study is carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. Total 550 (19.89%) deaths of suicide by various means and out of total, 129 (23.45%) deaths were due to hanging. The highest number of suicide by hanging (n=45 cases, 34.88%) was in the age group of 21 to 30 years in both genders. The least number of hangings (n=7, 5.4%) deaths were in those over 50 years. Males (n= 96, 74.41%) outnumber females. The ratio of male to female suicide is 2.9:1. Peak hangings were in July and August (n= 33 cases, 25.58%) and least in May (5 cases, 3.8%). Maximum numbers of suicides were during morning hours (6-10 am) constituted 37 deaths (28.68%).

Keywords


Suicide, Hanging, Autopsy, Incidence

References