Domestic violence and abuse-related suicide: evidence from six years of Irish coronial data

Suicide and domestic violence and abuse (DVA) represents a critical yet underexplored intersection of public health and social justice in Ireland. This study investigated the prevalence, circumstances, and risk factors associated with suicides with a recorded link to DVA drawing on coronial data from the Irish Probable Suicide Deaths Study (IPSDS 2015-2020).

All cases in the IPSDS (n = 3,622) were screened for documented domestic violence or related indicators. For selected cases, relevant demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and service-contact information was extracted and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Composite narratives were developed to synthesise recurrent patterns and present a "storied account" of the combined experiences across cases.

Fifteen DVA-related suicide cases were identified; all were female. Thus, over the six-year period, 1.7% of suicides among adult women (≥18 years, n = 873) in Ireland were recorded as DVA-related. Multiple adverse experiences were identified among the women including mental health difficulties, substance misuse, physical health conditions, chronic pain, and unemployment. Together, these findings underscore the complexity of suicide prevention in this context. Composite narratives further illustrate how contextual and relational factors interact to shape suicide risk among women with experiences of DVA.

Overlapping vulnerabilities and risk factors for women who die by DVA-related suicide present challenges for how "domestic violence" is identified and recorded in coronial records. Recommendations for service provision and the coronial system are discussed.