Kanchan Tanuj, Menon Anand, Menezes Ritesh G
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore-575001, India.
J Forensic Sci. 2009 Jul;54(4):938-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01054.x. Epub 2009 Apr 17.
Suicide is an important public health hazard worldwide. A 4-year retrospective study from January 2000 to December 2003 was conducted to identify the favored methods in realized suicides among males and females in the west coastal region of India. During the study period, a total of 539 cases of suicidal deaths were autopsied. Males were predominantly affected (male: female-1.9:1). The age of the victims ranged from 13 to 90 years in males (mean = 40.1 years, median = 37.0 years) and 15 to 85 years in females (mean = 36.6 years, median = 32.0 years). Most favored method of suicide amongst males and females was hanging (36.9%, n = 199) followed by poisoning (34.7%, n = 187). Male dominance was apparent for each method of suicide except for self-immolation. Males were relatively more likely to use hanging and poisoning while females were more likely to prefer drowning and self-immolation as methods of suicide. Relatively younger females (mean = 33.0 years, median = 32.0 years) preferred hanging as a method of suicide when compared to males (mean = 42.4 years, median = 40.0 years). Among females, significantly younger females resorted to hanging when compared to older females who preferred drowning. On investigating the various theories proposed for choice of suicide methods in males and females in different regions we conclude that preference of method of suicide in men and women is complexly determined. In this region, availability, accessibility, popularity, and socioacceptability seem to be the major determinants in the choice of methods among males and females rather than violence associated and lethality of the method. Females were as likely to use lethal and violent methods as males in this region.
自杀是全球范围内一项重大的公共卫生危害。我们开展了一项从2000年1月至2003年12月的4年回顾性研究，以确定印度西海岸地区男性和女性自杀既遂案例中最常用的方法。在研究期间，共对539例自杀死亡案例进行了尸检。男性受影响更为显著（男∶女 = 1.9∶1）。男性受害者年龄范围为13至90岁（平均40.1岁，中位数37.0岁），女性受害者年龄范围为15至85岁（平均36.6岁，中位数32.0岁）。男性和女性最常用的自杀方法是上吊（36.9%，n = 199），其次是中毒（34.7%，n = 187）。除了自焚外，每种自杀方法中男性占主导地位。男性相对更倾向于使用上吊和中毒的方式，而女性更倾向于选择溺水和自焚作为自杀方法。与男性（平均42.4岁，中位数40.0岁）相比，相对年轻的女性（平均33.0岁，中位数32.0岁）更倾向于选择上吊作为自杀方法。在女性中，与倾向于溺水的年长女性相比，明显更年轻的女性会选择上吊。在研究不同地区男性和女性自杀方法选择所提出的各种理论后，我们得出结论，男性和女性对自杀方法的偏好是由多种因素复杂决定的。在该地区，可获得性、易获取性、流行程度和社会可接受性似乎是男性和女性选择自杀方法的主要决定因素，而非方法的暴力关联性和致死性。在该地区，女性使用致死和暴力方法自杀的可能性与男性相同。
