TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Analysing crime scene data, medical records and forensic information to determine the causes of suicides
JO  - Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons -- Pakistan : JCPSP
A1  - Benli, Ali Ramazan
A1  - Simsek, Erhan
SP  - 407
EP  - 412
VL  - 34
IS  - 4
N2  - OBJECTIVE:  To analyse crime scene data, medical records, and forensic information to unveil insights into the causes and traits of suicides. STUDY DESIGN:  Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Family Medicine, Kayseri City Hospital, Kayseri, Turkiye, between January 2020 to December 2021. <br><br>METHODOLOGY:  A suicide investigation team (doctor, social worker, psychologist) was created to study cases and conduct on-site psychological autopsies. Triggered by emergency calls, the team interviewed suicide victims' relatives using semi-structured questionnaires, gathering data on personal details, time, method, and potential motives. Medical records revealed psychiatric history and medication use, while national judicial systems were reviewed for legal records. <br><br>RESULTS:  A total of 158 fatal suicides were studied. Males accounted for 73.4%, females 26.6%. The leading cause was psychiatric illness (43%), chiefly depression (39%). Suicide peaked in the fall, especially in September, mainly at 23:00-23:59. Home was the common site (58.9%), and hanging was the primary method (44.3%). Prior hospitalisation for suicide attempts was 7.5%. Criminal records were held by 16.4% (26 individuals). <br><br>CONCLUSION:  The results support the idea that suicides have seasonal patterns and that there are temporal windows of increased risk for suicide. KEY WORDS: Suicide reasons, Suicide time, Psychological autopsy, Seasonal and temporal patterns.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1022-386X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.29271/jcpsp.2024.04.407
ID  - ref1
ER  -