Open AccessSuicide deaths in dammam, kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Retrospective study
Author(s) -
Mohammed Madadin,
Amany Refaat Mahmoud,
Kholoud Alsowayigh,
Maram Alfaraidy
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
egyptian journal of forensic sciences/egyptian journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.238
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 2090-5939
pISSN - 2090-536X
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejfs.2013.01.001
Subject(s) - medicine , forensic science , retrospective cohort study , forensic toxicology , suicide methods , pediatrics , poison control , suicide prevention , demography , psychiatry , suicide rates , surgery , emergency medicine , veterinary medicine , chemistry , chromatography , sociology
AbstractA retrospective study was carried out on 126 suicide cases autopsied at the Forensic Medicine Center in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 2000 to 2003.Of these 126 cases, 109 (86.5%) were males and 17 (13.49%) were females, and the ratio of the males to females was 6.4:1 with the highest ratio in 2000 (10:1). Around 88% of the studied subjects were in their third or fourth decades.The largest percentage of suicides were among non-Saudis, and the highest is the Indian population with 54 cases (42.85%), followed by Saudi nationals (15.07%) and then ten other nationalities. Suicide by hanging was the most common method (89.68%), followed by firearms in only eight individuals (5.55%) and other four methods of suicide.Family troubles were documented in 5.5% of cases. While a history of psychological illnesses was more than double this figure, 13.49%. Suicide notes were discovered at the scene of death in five cases. Postmortem blood alcohol was found in only 5.55% of cases, and toxicological analysis resulted in the detection of amphetamine and cannabinoids in 3.69% and 1.587% of them, respectively.There was an unstable curve in suicide rate in Dammam; in 2000 there were 33 cases, with fewer in 2001, more in 2002, and the fewest in 2003