Causes of suicide and suicide attempt in Chipata District, Zambia

Suicide and suicidal behaviour affects citizens of both developed and developing nations. Until contextual causes and risk factors are understood and plan drawn with targeted interventions, suicide and suicidal behaviour has potential to spiral out of control. The objective of this study was to explore causes of suicide and suicide behaviour in Chipata District, Zambia. […]

Suicide by sodium nitrite poisoning: Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2018–2020

Objectives Suicide by sodium nitrite may be an emerging trend in the United States. Our mixed-methods study aims to: (1) describe the rates of suicides secondary to sodium nitrite self-poisoning in the United States between 2018 and 2020 and (2) characterize the use of sodium nitrite as a suicide method. Methods Using NVDRS data, descriptive […]

Substances detected during coroner postmortem toxicology analyses in poisoning- and nonpoisoning-related suicides

Importance  Determining the association between drug use and suicide is complicated but can help to inform targeted suicide prevention strategies. Objective  To examine the substances prevalent in poisoning- and nonpoisoning-related suicides in Australia. Design, Setting, and Participants  This was a multiple-year, cross-sectional study of suicides from July 2013 to October 2019 in Australia with toxicology data available in […]

Changing profile of suicide methods in India: 2014–2021

Background: Restricting access to suicide methods is one of the most effective suicide prevention approaches. Methods: Trends in method specific suicide rates (2014-2021) in India were calculated using National Crime Records Bureau data (NCRB) by sex and geographical region. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to empirically identify any changes in suicide trends. Results: Suicide rates by hanging increased […]

Characteristics and related factors of suicide attempts among patients admitted to an Iranian poisoning center: Implications for suicide prevention

Background: Suicide is a major public health concern worldwide. Iran is no exception, with suicide rates increasing in recent years. Understanding the characteristics and related factors of suicide attempts can help inform suicide prevention efforts in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who attempted suicide and were admitted to the poisoning emergency […]

An exploratory analysis of the factors influencing the decision to use poisoning as a suicide method and awareness of potential health risks: A qualitative study

Background: Self-poisoning, a method often chosen for near-fatal suicide attempts, substantially increases the risk of eventual suicide and necessitates hospitalization due to chemical-induced health impairment. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating the choice of self-poisoning in near-fatal suicide attempts and the cognizance of potential non-lethal risks. Objective: The present study aims to explore the factors […]

Physical health problems as a suicide precipitant: Associations with other risk factors and suicide methods in three age groups of older decedents

Background and Objectives: Physical health problems are a significant late-life suicide precipitant. This study’s purpose was to examine differences in (i) other suicide precipitants and psychiatric/substance use problems, and (ii) suicide methods (firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning) in 3 age groups (55–64, 65–74, and 75+) of older suicide decedents who had physical health problems as a […]

The contribution across three generations of mercury exposure to attempted suicide among children and youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An intergenerational analysis

Background: For 60 y, the people of Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) have endured the effects of massive mercury (Hg) contamination of their river system, central to their traditions, culture, livelihood, and diet. In the years following the Hg discharge into the English–Wabigoon River system by a chloralkali plant in the early 1970s, there […]

The use of analgesics for intentional self-poisoning: Trends in U.S. poison center data

In the U.S., intentional self-poisonings with analgesics that are available without a prescription increased from 2000 to 2018. Given concerns regarding mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined and compared trends in pediatric and adult intentional self-poisoning with acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen from 2016 to 2021 using the National Poison Data System […]

Trends in mortality from poisonings, firearms, and all other injuries by intent in the US, 1999-2020

Importance: Although deaths due to external causes are a leading cause of mortality in the US, trends over time by intent and demographic characteristics remain poorly understood. Objective: To examine national trends in mortality rates due to external causes from 1999 to 2020 by intent (homicide, suicide, unintentional, and undetermined) and demographic characteristics. External causes were defined […]

Outcome of rodenticide poisoning and its associated factors among adult patients admitted with rodenticide poisoning at the emergency unit of Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Debre Tabor, North Central Ethiopia

Introduction: Rodenticides are pesticides used to eradicate rodents. It is a common reason for visits to the emergency department and hospitalization, and it is a major public health concern. Intentional or unintentional intoxication can result in severe consequences with a high fatality rate. In Ethiopia, studies on the outcome of rodenticide poisoning are scarce. The goal […]

Are people who die by intentional medication poisoning dispensed those medications in the year prior to death?

Objective: The rate of suicidal poisoning in the United States has increased substantially over the past 20 years. Understanding whether prescription medications used for self-poisoning were recently dispensed would help inform suicide prevention efforts. Alternatively, medications for self-poisoning could have been formerly dispensed or collected from friends, family, or illicit sources. Methods: Among those who died by […]

Assessment of the sociodemographic profile, pattern, and outcomes of intentional poisoning cases in an emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital: A prospective study

Background: Intentional self-poisoning has become a major health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Aims: We aimed to assess the sociodemographic profile, pattern, and outcomes of intentional poisoning cases in the emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted at the department of emergency medicine of a South Indian tertiary care hospital for […]

Clinical and laboratory features and factors determining the outcome in poisoning children in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit: Eleven years of experience

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit for poisoning and the factors associated with their outcomes. Materials and methods: Patients who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for poisoning over the 11-year period between January 2010 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients’ demographic […]

Pediatric suspected suicides and nonfatal suicide attempts reported to United States Poison Control Centers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction This study investigated the characteristics and compared the trends of pediatric suspected suicide and nonfatal suicide attempts reported to United States (US) poison control centers (PCCs) before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An interrupted time series analysis using an ARIMA model was conducted to evaluate the trends of suspected […]

Escalating costs of self-injury mortality in the 21st century United States: An interstate observational study

Background Estimating the economic costs of self-injury mortality (SIM) can inform health planning and clinical and public health interventions, serve as a basis for their evaluation, and provide the foundation for broadly disseminating evidence-based policies and practices. SIM is operationalized as a composite of all registered suicides at any age, and 80% of drug overdose […]

Instability of emotional relationships and suicide among youth: A qualitative study

Background Interpersonal problems are one of the factors for understanding the complex issues that result in suicide attempts and self-injury by poisoning. The quality of familial relationships is a predictor of the occurrence and outcome of suicide attempts. This study aimed to explore motives for self-poisoning suicide attempts amongst young adults. Method This research was […]

Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents’ demographic and clinical characteristics

Background and aims: The U.S. suicide data show that use of lethal methods, specifically firearms and hanging/suffocation, has been increasing among young and middle-aged adults of both sexes over the past decades. In this study, we examined demographic and clinical correlates of use of firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning as suicide methods among suicide decedents age 18+. […]

A fatal case by a suicide kit containing sodium nitrite ordered on the internet

Fatal sodium nitrite poisonings are rare in the forensic context. The present work describes a first fatal case of sodium nitrite contained in a suicide kit that the victim acquired over the internet. The results of the autopsy showed general signs of asphyxia, such as intense cyanosis of the extremities, brown-gray-blue-red livor mortis, and some Tardieu […]

Evidence summary on the prevention of poisoning in Canada

Poisoning represents a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Canada and around the world. Furthermore, poisonings account for a significant number of hospitalizations and an even greater number of emergency department visits each year in Canada. while it is important to recognize that poisonings can occur in individuals from all walks of life regardless […]

Non-opioid substances acute poisonings with suicidal intent in patients with opioid use disorder

Introduction: Several epidemiological studies have evaluated the role of illicit drug use in suicide behaviour. Aim: To assess patients with opioid use disorder and suicidal intent related to behavior, severity of acute poisoning and the most commonly used non-opioid substances. Materials and methods: This cross sectional study included 67 patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder. The study was […]

Acute pesticide poisoning amongst adolescent girls and women in northern Tanzania

Background Acute pesticide poisoning (APP) is reported to affect community health worldwide but its burden in Tanzania is unknown particularly in women. This study examines APP involving adult females and adolescent girls 10 to 19 years in 3 regions of Tanzania which are famous for coffee and vegetable production. Methods Over the period of 12 months, health […]

Suicide in Canada: Is poisoning misclassification an issue?

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare Canadian suicide rates with other external causes of death to examine potential poisoning misclassifications as a contributor to suicide underreporting. Method: The study used Statistics Canada mortality data from 2000 to 2011 to calculate sex-and age-specific ratios by external cause of injury codes. Results: The overall […]