Childhood deaths due to suicide

Abstract

Suicide has been reported as the second or third most common cause of death in children and adolescents all over the world. The aim of the study was to investigate the general properties of suicide in childhood and adolescents, and to evaluate the results in the light of literature. Reports of autopsies performed between 2001 and 2005 in the Morgue Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul (n=16853) were examined retrospectively. Deaths between 0-18 years of age doubtlessly considered as suicide were included in the study. Childhood and adolescent (0-18 years) deaths comprised 10.4% (n=1761) of all medico-legal autopsy cases. 136 cases of suicidal origin were evaluated in terms of age, gender, and method of suicide. The ages ranged between 7 and 18, with a mean of 15.54 +/- 2.691(SD). The most common method of suicide was hanging (59.2%) in both genders. Older adolescents (16-18 age group) constituted the overwhelming number (63.2%, n=86) of all cases. Seven cases of 10 years of age and below were determined, and hanging was the method of suicide in five of these cases. In order to prevent childhood suicides, families and society should be aware of their responsibilities.