Summary
The purpose of this study was to check the reliability of the classification of death in cases regarded primarily as accidents or undetermined. The material used for the analysis consisted of the documents of autopsies performed at our department in 1981. There were altogether 283 cases of suicides, accidents or undetermined deaths, accounting for 8.4% of total mortality, and of these 180 cases were of the two last categories. In 125 cases primarily regarded as non-suicides (accidents or undetermined) there were some features of suicide leading to reclassification as probable suicide in 24 cases. Fifteen of these were primarily poisoning “accidents”, mainly alcohol intoxications. The result indicates that the suicide rate would be 3.7% instead of 3.0% of the total mortality.
It may thus be concluded that the official figure for suicides could be as much as 18.9% smaller than the “actual” figure.
Zusammenfassung
Die Studie soll die Zuverlässigkeit der Klassifikation von Todesfällen überprüfen, die primär als Unfälle oder als nicht näher bestimmbar angesehen wurden. Es liegen 283 Fälle von Suizid, Unfall oder unaufgeklärter Todesart vor (8,4% der Gesamtmortalität); 180 Fälle betreffen die beiden letztgenannten Kategorien. Das Ausgangsmaterial entspricht dem Obduktionsgut des Institutes im Jahre 1981. Unter 125 Fällen, die zuerst als Unfälle oder unklassifizierbar galten, führten Hinweise auf ein Suizidgeschehen in 24 Fällen zu einer entsprechenden Reklassifizierung. Fünfzehn Fälle (hauptsächlich Alkoholintoxikationen) wurden zunächst als Vergiftungsunfälle betrachtet. Dies führte zu dem Resultat, daß Suizid in 3,7% und nicht in 3,0% aller Todesfälle vorlag.
Die Analyse führt zu der Schlußfolgerung, daß die offizielle Zahl der Suizide 18,9% geringer sein könnte als die aktuelle Angabe.
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Huusko, R., Hirvonen, J. The problem of determining the manner of death as suicide or accident in borderline cases. Z Rechtsmed 100, 207–213 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200761
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200761