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Suicide in Kerry: a comparison of the official and a clinically based rate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Mary Naughton
Affiliation:
Wirral Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Adcote House, Columbia Road, Oxton, Birkenhead, Wirral L43 6TU, England
Anne Doyle
Affiliation:
All Saints Hospital, Lodge Road, Birmingham B18 5FD, England
Patrick Melia
Affiliation:
Tralee General Hospital, Co Kerry, Ireland
Don Barry
Affiliation:
University College Cork, Co Cork, Ireland

Abstract

The suicide rate for county Kerry in 1988 was determined by clinical means using postmortem records as a starting point. Sixteen deaths due to suicide were thus identified (eight males and eight females). The official figure for the year is 19 (13 males and six females). Four of the clinically determined suicides did not appear in the official figures. Combining information from both sources gives a figure of 23 suicide deaths, a rate of 18.58 per 100,000. The authors conclude that there are continuing deficiencies in suicide recording practices.

Type
Brief Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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