Method of Suicide in the Mentally ill: a National Clinical Survey

Comparisons of psychiatric patients who die by suicide using different methods are scarce. The authors aimed to establish the methods of suicide used by those who are currently or have recently been in contact with mental health services in England & Wales & describing the social & clinical characteristics of suicides by different methods. The sample consisted of 6,203 suicides & probable suicides occurring between April 2000 & December 2004. It was found that hanging, self-poisoning, & jumping were the most common methods, accounting for 79% of all suicides. The implications of these & other findings are discussed. (39 refs.)