[Suicidal actions of the mentally ill]

The authors analyzed suicide cases recorded over 25 years (1957-1981). Male to female ratio among suicides was 70.90% to 29.10%, with subjects aged over 41 accounting for 68.30% of all cases. Strangulation was the method of realizing suicidal tendencies in 87.50% of cases. The number of suicides tended to increase in spring and summer months (with the peak observed in May) as compared to winter months, with the rise in May, June and July being statistically significant as against the corresponding rate in December, January and February. Among the suicides patients with schizophrenia comprised 34.20%, with chronic alcoholism 29.70%, depressions of various genesis 18.90%, vascular psychoses 5.00%, epilepsy 3.10%, psychopathy 3.90%, somatogenic and posttraumatic psychoses 2.70% and 2.50% respectively. Further efforts are needed to identify individuals with an elevated suicidal risk.