SUICIDAL DEATHS

ASSESSMENT IN PESHAWAR

Abstract

Objective: To find out the incidence of suicide, the gender and age groups involved, the methods used for committing the act and to note
seasonal trends if any. Data source: Cases brought for autopsy at the department of forensic medicine, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar.
Study design: Non- interventional descriptive. Setting: Department of forensic medicine, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. Period: January
1991 to December 2000. Materials and Methods: All 39 cases of deaths labeled as suicide on the basis of autopsy findings, police inquest
and interview with relatives of the victim were selected from the autopsies. The cases were grouped on the basis of age, sex, method of suicide
used, region of the body involved and the seasonal distribution of the cases. Results: The rate of suicide in Peshawar is 0.21 per 100,000 per
year. Males were the predominant victims with a male to female ratio of 2.9:1 The age most prone to suicide was 20-29 years followed by 10-19
years. The primary method used for suicide in both sexes was by firearm followed by hanging. The head was the region of the body used for
suicide in 59.37% of firearm victims followed by the chest and the abdomen. Two peaks were noted in the months of September and March.
Conclusion: The incidence of suicide in Peshawar is amongst the lowest in the world.