Undetermined Deaths—Suicide or Accident?

Abstract

SummaryA consecutive series of 110 undetermined deaths (U.D.) was compared with matched samples of suicides and accidents recorded in the same metropolitan Coroner's District. The hypothesis tested was that U.D. are mostly concealed suicides and will resemble known suicides more closely than accidents. The samples were compared on social and demographic variables, psychiatric and physical illness, evidence of suicide intent, information available to the Coroner and the circumstances of death. The results did not confirm the hypothesis. The study widens the investigation of the mortality of mental disorder from unnatural causes beyond the category of suicide.