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Psychiatric and psycho-social characteristics of suicide completers: a comprehensive evaluation of psychiatric case records and postmortem findings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2014

J. Kielty ,
A. van Laar ,
M. Davoren ,
L. Conlon ,
A. Hillick ,
C. McDonald  and
B. Hallahan
J. Kielty
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
A. van Laar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
M. Davoren
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland Central Mental Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
L. Conlon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
A. Hillick
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
C. McDonald
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
B. Hallahan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr B. Hallahan, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland. (Email: brian.hallahan@nuigalway.ie)
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Abstract

Objectives

To explore the demographic, psychosocial and clinical characteristics of individuals known to the mental health services, who died by probable suicide in the West of Ireland.

Methods

Postmortem reports between January 2006 and May 2012 detailed 153 individuals who died by probable suicide, 58 of whom attended the mental health services. Relevant socio-demographic and clinical data was extracted from individuals’ lifetime case notes.

Results

Recurrent depressive disorder (44%) was the most common diagnosis and hanging the most common method of death (58%). Of individuals who died by hanging, 79% previously attempted suicide by the same method. For individuals with a documented history of depression, only 32% had antidepressants detected in their toxicology reports. Similarly, only one individual (20%) with schizophrenia had antipsychotics detected in their toxicology report.

Conclusions

Individuals who died by probable suicide, most commonly died by hanging and drowning; with previous attempts of hanging particularly prevalent in the group who subsequently died by hanging. At the time of death, less than one-third of individuals according to toxicology reports were taking the medication that was last prescribed to them by the mental health services suggesting a high rate of treatment non-concordance in individuals who died by probable suicide.

Keywords

Postmortemsuicidetreatment concordance
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , June 2015 , pp. 167 - 176
Copyright
© College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2014 

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