An Annual Survey of Successful Suicide Incidence in Hamadan, Western Iran

This study describes patterns in suicide methods in Hamadan, western Iran. All 146 suicide cases from March 2004-March 2005 were included. The prevalence of suicide was 8.3 per 100,000 population. The male-to-female ratio was 7.1:1. The average age of cases was 33.9 years. Across all age groups, males had consistently higher rates of suicide than females. 69.2% of victims were from urban popualtions. Common methods were hanging, poisoning, & self-immolation. The high rate of suicide by hanging among males may be due to substance dependency & unemployment. (19 refs.) JA