Hanging suicides in northern Finland : A descriptive epidemiological study

The authors examined all hanging-suicides during 1988-2013 (N=851) in the province of Oulu, northern Finland. Using death-certificate data and ICD-diagnoses from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register, we focused on gender differences in suicide, mental health, and somatic health. Male victims were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Death Studies
Main Authors: Kanamuller, Juha, Riipinen, Pirkko, Riala, Kaisa, Paloneva, Eero, Hakko, Helina
Other Authors: Department of Psychiatry, Nuorisopsykiatria, Clinicum, HUS Psychiatry
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Hemisphere Pub. Corp 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10138/161429
Description
Summary:The authors examined all hanging-suicides during 1988-2013 (N=851) in the province of Oulu, northern Finland. Using death-certificate data and ICD-diagnoses from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register, we focused on gender differences in suicide, mental health, and somatic health. Male victims were more likely to have intoxication or problematic alcohol use; female victims were more likely to have somatic or mental hospitalization. Previous physical or mental hospitalization was related with absence of intoxication at the time of suicide. Suicide prevention should focus on acute alcohol abuse in the presence of acute stressors, suicidal thoughts and mental illness. Peer reviewed