Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Clinical contact preceding suicide

J O Obafunwa1, A Busuttil

  • 1Department of Pathology, University Medical School, Edinburgh, UK.

Postgraduate Medical Journal
|June 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Diagnosing neurocysticercosis in skeletonized human remains of forensic importance.

Journal of forensic and legal medicine·2022
Same author

Her-2/neu overexpression in breast cancers in patients of West African extraction seen in Lagos state University Teaching hospital, Nigeria.

European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology·2019
Same author

Do Not Forget Popliteal Venous Entrapment.

European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·2017
Same author

A 10 years autopsy-based study of maternal mortality in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.

Nigerian journal of clinical practice·2017
Same author

Editor's Choice-- A Systematic Review of Endovenous Stenting in Chronic Venous Disease Secondary to Iliac Vein Obstruction.

European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·2015
Same author

CXCR3 ligands are augmented during the pathogenesis of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

The European respiratory journal·2009
Same journal

Comparative efficacy of Janus kinase inhibitors in severe alopecia areata: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
Same journal

Two cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis with severe ocular involvement treated with adjunctive tofacitinib.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
Same journal

Diastolic dysfunction and diabetes: the DIADAD study-a retrospective cohort study from Liverpool.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
Same journal

Care, cash, and proof: forensic accountability for war-related starvation.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
Same journal

Response to traumatic injuries in polo players in England.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
Same journal

Aids to venesection and parenteral drug administration in patients with difficult veins.

Postgraduate medical journal·2026
See all related articles

Many suicides involve recent doctor consultations, often linked to psychiatric illness or drug overdose. Healthcare providers must carefully manage prescriptions, especially for fatal medications, as half of these suicides occurred within 24 hours of a doctor visit.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Clinical Toxicology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Completed suicides represent a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding patterns of healthcare utilization preceding suicide is crucial for prevention.
  • Previous attempts and psychiatric illness are known risk factors for suicide.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze characteristics of completed suicides who consulted a doctor in the week prior to death.
  • To compare these cases with suicides who did not consult a doctor.
  • To identify pre-indication factors and common methods used in doctor-consulting suicides.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 400 completed suicides over a 5-year period.
  • Detailed review of 114 cases who consulted a doctor in the preceding week.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Inclusion of medical history, scene investigation, autopsy, histology, and toxicology.

    • Main Results:

    • Doctor-consulting suicides frequently exhibited psychiatric illness (58.8%), deteriorating health, and loss of spouse.
    • Suicidal intention was pre-indicated in 45% of cases, more common in those consulting doctors.
    • Drug overdose (50.9%), particularly prescribed antidepressants (35%), was the most common method; poisoning was more frequent overall.

    Conclusions:

    • A significant proportion of suicides involve recent medical consultation, highlighting missed opportunities for intervention.
    • Prescribed medications, especially antidepressants, are frequently used in fatal overdoses.
    • Healthcare providers must exercise extreme caution in prescribing and dispensing potentially lethal medications and take all suicidal threats seriously.