Epidemiology of deaths due to suicide in the southeast of Iran: a retrospective study from 2010 to 2017

Abstract

Suicide is the most real life-threatening challenge for populations worldwide; therefore, it is important to identify its risk factors. This study comprised an epidemiological survey of suicide deaths referred to the forensic setting of Zahedan, Iran, between 2010 and 2017 (a total of 214 completed suicide cases). The research method was descriptive-analytical with a retrospective approach. The research tool was a questionnaire prepared based on the information form about the suicide deaths at the Zahedan Forensic Medicine Center. A frequency distribution in descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that hanging was the main method of suicide in the southeast of Iran. The highest suicidal rates were also related to adults with the following conditions: aged between 20 and 30, males, married individuals, employed people, urban dwellers, people without a history of suicidal behavior, and people with an elementary education. The results obtained by the current study can be useful for identifying suicide risk groups among attempted suicides and designing suicide prevention programs.