TY - JOUR PY - 1999// TI - Cultural influence on the incidence and choice of method of suicide in Saudi Arabia JO - American journal of forensic medicine and pathology A1 - Elfawal, M. A. SP - 163 EP - 168 VL - 20 IS - 2 N2 - The present study was undertaken to explore how racial and cultural factors could possibly influence suicidal rates and patterns in Saudi Arabia. During the 10-year period from 1986 to 1995, 221 cases of suicide were examined at the Medico-legal Center, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The suicide rate for the entire population averaged 1.1/100,000 population per annum. The male-to-female ratio was 4.5:1. The highest suicide rate was among the age group from 30 to 39 years (44.3%), followed by the age group from 20 to 29 years (32.6%), and the lowest suicide rate was among the age group <20 years (1.8%). The rate in the group >60 years was also low (3.2%). Immigrants formed 77% of the cases, and of these, Asians accounted for 70% of the overall cases and Indians showed the highest suicidal rates (43%). The most common means of suicide chosen was hanging (63%), followed by jumping from heights (12%) and gunshot injuries (9%); death from poisoning accounted for only 6% of cases. This study showed an increasing rate of suicide during the second 5-year period compared with the first 5-year period.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0195-7910 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -