@article{ref1,
title="Charcoal-burning suicide in post-transition Hong Kong",
journal="British journal of psychiatry",
year="2005",
author="Chan, K. P. and Yip, Paul S. F. and Au, Jade and Lee, Dominic T. S.",
volume="186",
number="",
pages="67-73",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Charcoal-burning, a new suicide method, emerged in Hong Kong during the latest economic recession. Within 2 months charcoal-burning had become the third most common suicide method. AIMS: To examine the characteristics of suicides by charcoal-burning, and to delineate the pathways linking macro-level economic and social changes with the subjective experiences of those surviving a charcoal-burning suicide attempt. METHOD: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. In the coroner's records study, the first 160 cases of suicide by charcoal-burning were compared with a control group. In the ethnographic enquiry, we interviewed 25 consecutive informants who had survived serious suicide attempt using charcoal-burning. RESULTS: People who completed suicide by the charcoal-burning method were more likely to have been economically active and physically healthy, and were less likely to have had pre-existing mental illness. Charcoal-burning suicide was associated with overindebtedness. Media reports were pivotal in linking overindebtedness and financial troubles with charcoal-burning. CONCLUSIONS: The political economy of suicide by charcoal-burning illustrated how historical, socio-economic and cultural forces shaped the lived experience that preceded suicide.",
language="",
issn="0007-1250",
doi="10.1192/bjp.186.1.67",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.186.1.67"
}