Walsh B, Walsh D, Whelan B
Br J Psychiatry. 1975 Apr;126:309-12. doi: 10.1192/bjp.126.4.309.
This paper presents an analysis of the factors which influence coroners in their decision to classify some deaths as suicides and others as accidental or "open". The most important influence on coroners' behaviour was seen to be the manner by which the person died. Those who died by cutting, hanging, drugs or gas were significantly more likely to receive a suicide verdict than those whose deaths were due to drowning, jumping, shooting or poisoning. If the deceased left any intimation of a suicidal intent, this increased the likelihood that a suicide verdict would be returned. Finally, persons aged under 40 were significantly more likely to be returned as suicides than older victims, especially those aged over 70. All of these results show that coroners operate by observing the law as it defines suicide, that is, by looking for evidence of intent of self-inflicted death. Our findings concerning the factors associated with the suicide verdict help to clarify the meaning of the official data on suicides in Ireland, and illuminate the reasons why, using clinical rather than legal criteria, a much higher rate is obtained.
本文分析了影响验尸官将某些死亡判定为自杀，而将其他死亡判定为意外或“死因不明”的因素。对验尸官行为影响最大的因素是死亡方式。与溺水、跳楼、枪击或中毒死亡的人相比，割伤、上吊、服药或吸入毒气死亡的人更有可能被判定为自杀。如果死者留下任何自杀意图的暗示，这会增加做出自杀判定的可能性。最后，40岁以下的人比年龄较大的受害者，尤其是70岁以上的受害者，更有可能被判定为自杀。所有这些结果表明，验尸官依据法律对自杀的定义进行操作，即寻找自我造成死亡意图的证据。我们关于与自杀判定相关因素的研究结果有助于澄清爱尔兰官方自杀数据的含义，并阐明为何使用临床而非法律标准会得出高得多的自杀率。
