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Open verdict v. suicide - importance to research
K R Linsley1, K Schapira, T P Kelly
1County Hospital, Durham, USA. keith.linsley@cddpsnhs.fsnet.co.uk
Summary
Open verdicts share many similarities with suicides and should be included in suicide research. Excluding unlikely suicide cases ensures accurate data for public health targets.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Pathology
- Public Health Research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Open verdicts are frequently grouped with suicides in research and for public health targets.
- Distinguishing between open verdicts and suicides is crucial for accurate data analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the similarities and differences between coroner-defined suicide and open verdicts.
- To assess the implications of including open verdicts in suicide research.
Main Methods:
- A comparative analysis of demographic and medical parameters for open and suicide verdicts.
- Data was collected from the Newcastle Coroner's Court between 1985 and 1994.
Main Results:
- Open and suicide verdicts exhibited significant similarities.
- Logistic regression identified suicide notes, method of death, and age as key differentiating factors.
Conclusions:
- Open verdicts should be incorporated into suicide research, with clear exclusion criteria for improbable suicide cases.
- Standardized objective criteria are necessary for consistent comparisons across studies.