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War and suicide in northern Sri Lanka
Author(s) -
Somasundaram D. J.,
Rajadurai S.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1995.tb09733.x
Subject(s) - sri lanka , suicide prevention , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , medical emergency , psychiatry , medicine , psychology , criminology , geography , history , ethnology , south asia , pathology
A study on the effect of war on the suicide rate in Jaffna town for the 10‐year period from 1980 to 1989 is reported. There was a marked drop in the suicide rate during the war, notably among males and youth. An inverse relationship between suicide and homicide rates was shown in the overall trends, particularly in 1987. It is hypothesized that war may function as an alternate to suicide. The use of agrochemicals for suicidal purposes declined during war, while alary seeds became more popular. The method chosen may reflect availability and cultural popularity.