Suicide in Brisbane – A Retrospective Psychosocial Study

Describes a consecutive series of 135 suicides in Brisbane. Important contributing factors were depressive illness (55%), physical illness (52%) & drug dependency (34%). Social isolation or loss appeared to contribute to the suicide risk. This study confirms the importance of the recognition & treatment of depressive illness in attempting to prevent suicide & draws attention to the significant contribution of physical illness, especially when affecting the CNS or gastrointestinal tract.