BMJ 1994;308:789 (19 March)

Letters

Increasing rate of deliberate self poisoning

EDITOR, - We note with interest the recent figures highlighted by the Samaritans showing that the incidence of suicide in males seems to be increasing. Our experience indicates that this also applies to hospital admission for deliberate self poisoning. Since 1987 the Cardiff Poisons Treatment Unit has received more than 90% of all patients admitted with self poisoning in South Glamorgan (population 403 400). The table shows the data on men and women. 


Numbers of men and women admitted with self poisoning in South
Glamorgan by year with ratio of men to women
---------------------------------------------------------------------
              1987     1988     1989     1990     1991     1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Women          513      464      537      582      537      629
Men            299      283      357      432      441      557
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Total          812      747      894     1014      978     1186
Men: women       0.58     0.61     0.66     0.74     0.82     0.89

Although violent methods and gassing are the commonest means of committing suicide or inflicting fatal self injury in England . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Increase in parasuicide in Scotland
C Stark, H Smith, and D Hall
BMJ 1994 308: 1569-1570. [Extract] [Full Text]

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