Atypical methods of suicide - case reports and literature review

Abstract

Suicide is an increasing public health problem all around the globe, because of the loss of lives with devastating effects on those left behind. The literature review shows that there are a lot of risk factors associated with suicide, but the psychiatric pathology or psychiatric imbalance at a certain critical moment in the individual's life seems to play a major role. This article presents four suicide cases autopsied at the National Institute of Legal Medicine-Bucharest in which the common characteristic is the atypical manner and method of commiting suicide: two young men jumping from a high building after chaining themselves together, a self poisoning in a woman by an improvised intravenous line and a man with self inflicted thoracic perforating wound using a mechanical drill. The risk factors associated with these suicides, the preexisting or presumed psychiatric pathology, as well as drug abuse association are reviewed.

Suicidal Attempts by Unusual Means and Methods: A Brief Review

“…Previous reviews revealed that approximately 90% of suicide victims were found to have had at least one axis 1 psychiatric comorbidity (3, 5, 9). Though more severe psychiatric morbidities are supposed to be present among the individuals who have died by unusual methods, this review finding does not support such notion (28). Seven (28%) victims had notable risk factors such as financial burdens (2), personality domains (2), marital and family discord (2), and imprisonment (1).…”

“…Suicide by violent head impalement was found in an 80-year-old man with pancreatic cancer and depression (22). Salem et al (28), reported in Romania the suicide of a 76-year-old male who drilled his own chest using a drill borer. When two or more methods are applied either simultaneously or one after another in a suicide, it is called complex suicide (11,14,33).…”

“…When two or more methods are applied either simultaneously or one after another in a suicide, it is called complex suicide (11,14,33). Complex suicides were reported in Turkey (11), Tunisia (14), and Romania (28).…”