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Suicide: who's counting?

N L Farberow, D R MacKinnon, F L Nelson

    Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
    |May 1, 1977
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The structure and procedures of coroners' offices significantly influence reported suicide rates, especially in larger counties. Coroner characteristics, like attitude and interest, were more predictive than community factors in populous areas.

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    Area of Science:

    • Forensic Pathology
    • Sociology
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • Suicide certification accuracy is challenged by inherent difficulties in death certification.
    • Variation in reported suicide rates may be linked to coroners' office operations and community factors.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the relationship between coroners' office structure, function, and procedures and reported suicide rates.
    • To compare the predictive power of coroner variables versus community variables (demographics, socioeconomic status) on suicide rates.

    Main Methods:

    • A stratified sample of 202 counties in 11 western states was used.
    • Data from 191 coroners' offices were analyzed using weighted least squares regression.
    • Analyses were conducted separately for counties with populations over and under 30,000.

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    Main Results:

    • In counties with populations over 30,000, coroner variables explained 37% of suicide rate variation, while community variables explained 41%.
    • In counties with less than 30,000 population, coroner variables explained 24% and community variables explained 13%.
    • Predictive coroner characteristics in larger counties included a nonrejecting attitude, interest in personal aspects, and concern for physical circumstances; in smaller counties, physical aspects of death were key.

    Conclusions:

    • Coroners' office variables are significant predictors of suicide rates, particularly in more populous counties.
    • The relative importance of coroner versus community factors in predicting suicide rates varies by county population size.
    • Specific coroner attitudes and procedural focuses are associated with variations in reported suicide rates.