@article{ref1,
title="Suicide in Pretoria: a retrospective review, 2007 - 2010",
journal="South African medical journal SAMJ",
year="2017",
author="Engelbrecht, Cornelia and Blumenthal, Ryan and Morris, Neil K. and Saayman, Gert",
volume="107",
number="8",
pages="715-718",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has declared suicide a global ealth crisis, predicting that ~1.53 million people will commit suicide annually by 2020. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: A study from South Africa reviewed 1 018 suicide cases in Pretoria over 4 years (1997 - 2000). Our study was undertaken to establish whether there have been substantial changes in the profile of suicide victims who died in Pretoria a decade later. <br><br>METHODS: Case records at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory were reviewed retrospectively from 2007 to 2010. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 957 suicide cases were identified. Hanging was the most common method of suicide, followed by self-inflicted firearm injury. The true incidence of suicidal intake of prescription drugs/medication was difficult to determine, because of a backlog at the state toxicology laboratories. White males and females appeared to be over-represented among suicide victims, but there has been an increase in suicide among blacks. There seems to have been a substantial decrease in the use of firearms to commit suicide - possibly reflecting a positive outcome of gun control legislation that has been introduced in the interim. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Suicide continues to constitute almost 10% of all fatalities admitted to the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory, confirming suicide as a major cause of mortality in our society. Further research is needed to clarify the profile of suicidal deaths, with a view to informing resource allocation and to improve preventive strategies.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0038-2469",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}