Psychological autopsy study of suicides by people aged under 35

In the past two decades the suicide rate in young people has risen in the UK and other countries. To identify the characteristics of people aged under 35 who commit suicide. Psychological autopsy study with case-control design. Cases were 84 suicides and probable suicides (open verdicts). Controls w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of psychiatry Vol. 175; no. 2; pp. 168 - 174
Main Authors Appleby, L, Cooper, J, Amos, T, Faragher, B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Cambridge University Press 01.08.1999
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Autopsy
Case-Control Studies
Drug abuse
Employment status
England - epidemiology
Factor analysis
Female
Gender
Humans
Interpersonal problems
Interpersonal Relations
Life events
Male
Marital status
Mental disorders
Personality disorders
Prevention
Psychological autopsy
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Self injury
Social Behavior
Social Isolation
Substance abuse
Suicide
Suicide - psychology
Suicides & suicide attempts
Withdrawal
Youth
England
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Summary:In the past two decades the suicide rate in young people has risen in the UK and other countries. To identify the characteristics of people aged under 35 who commit suicide. Psychological autopsy study with case-control design. Cases were 84 suicides and probable suicides (open verdicts). Controls were 64 age- and gender-matched non-suicides obtained through the general practices of the matched cases. social, including employment status, marital status and living circumstances; life events and interpersonal difficulties; clinical, including current psychiatric disorder, alcohol and drug misuse, previous self-harm and personality disorder. A large number of highly significant social, interpersonal and clinical differences between suicides and controls was found. Factor analysis identified two groups of variables within each of the social, interpersonal and clinical domains which were independently linked to suicide, corresponding to: acute, severe mental disorder and chronic disorder of behaviour; rootlessness and social withdrawal; chronic and recent interpersonal problems. A broad prevention strategy is needed to reverse the recent rise in the suicide rate in young people.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.175.2.168