Socio-demographic features and trends of suicide mortality in Babylon province, Irak

Abstract

Background: Suicide is defined as an act of intentionally causing one's death. Different psychological disorders including depression, personality disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and addiction, and anxiety disorders represent risk factors for suicide. The previous history of suicidal attempts is associated with increased risk for future suicide. Methods of suicide and self-harm include the use of poison, misuse of drugs, burning, hanging, self- cutting, jumping from bridges. Effective suicidal prevention includes stopping access to the common methods of suicide such as drugs and poisons, effective treatment of psychological disorders, and substance abuse; improving the socioeconomic status and use of health education especially by using mass media. Objective:  This study was performed to assess the socio-demographic features of suicidal victims and the trend of suicide in Babylon province and to describe the most common methods of suicide used.

Patients and method: Was a retrospective study, and the sample was a total of 72 suicidal death collected from records of Forensic Medicine Center of Babylon province during periods of January 2015 to the end of December 2019.    

Results: The current study includes seventy-two suicidal deaths for five years from January 2015 to the end of December 2019. The mean age of suicidal victims was (25.52 ± 12.51) years the younger one was 11 years and the older one was 68. In the current study 32 cases (44.4%) were below 20 years and 31 cases (43.1%) were between 20-39 years. Most of those victims were male 46 cases (63.9%), most of them 39 cases (54.2%) were from the Hilla (center of Babylon). In the current study hanging was the most common method of suicide using, which represents about three quarters (72.2%) of suicidal death (52 cases).

Conclusion: Suicide represents an important public health problem in many developing and developed countries and is regarded as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. There were increasing trends of suicide in our country as a result of social, economic, and political problems. Hanging was the most common method of suicide.