Document Detail


Suicide by charcoal burning in Taiwan, 1995-2006.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19410296     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: We sought to identify risk factors and trends that might underlie the greatly increased incidence of charcoal-burning suicide in Taiwan and to learn whether the increasing accessibility of a single suicide method can increase overall suicide rates. METHODS: Data from a national mortality register for subjects who committed suicide during 2001 to 2006 and who were 15 years old or older when they died was analyzed. A review of available evidence and comparisons with historical cases were also performed. RESULTS: From 1995 to 2006, 68% of suicides in Taiwan involved males, and suicide rates for men increased from 9.5 to 26.7 per 100,000 population; suicide rates for women rose from 5.6 to 11.7 per 100,000 population. The sex ratio (M:F) increased from 1.69:1 to 2.28:1. The greatest increase in suicide rates occurred among those 25-44 years of age. The incidence of charcoal-burning suicide was 0.22 per 100,000 in 1999 but reached 6.48 per 100,000 in 2006. Age, gender, marital status, and year of committing suicide were significant predictors for suicide by charcoal burning. This single suicide method accounted for 33.5% of suicide deaths in Taiwan in 2006. LIMITATIONS: The number of suicides by charcoal burning may be under- or overestimated, and life events of the suicide subjects were not analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Romanticizing suicide by charcoal burning by the media and cultural influences may have contributed to the increased suicides. Prohibiting sale of charcoal in convenience stores, enforcing media guidelines, and setting up carbon monoxide detectors may help prevent suicide by charcoal burning.
Authors:
Yi-Ju Pan; Shih-Cheng Liao; Ming-Been Lee
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of affective disorders     Volume:  120     ISSN:  1573-2517     ISO Abbreviation:  J Affect Disord     Publication Date:  2010 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-12-16     Completed Date:  2010-03-19     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7906073     Medline TA:  J Affect Disord     Country:  Netherlands    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  254-7     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Department of Health, Taiwan.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / epidemiology*
Charcoal*
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Registries
Risk Factors
Sex Distribution
Suicide / statistics & numerical data*
Taiwan / epidemiology
Young Adult
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
16291-96-6/Charcoal

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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