1995/04/01 by Ian O’Donnell, Richard Farmer · 2 citations
Mathematics · Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Diverse Academic Research Areas #History #Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse #Inquest #Law #Mathematics #Medical emergency #Medicine #Official statistics #Poison control #Political science #Psychology #Quarter (Canadian coin) #Sample (material) #Statistics #Suicide and Self-Harm Studies #Suicide prevention
paper · doi:10.1192/bjp.166.4.458
openalex publication_date 1995/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
BACKGROUND: This study explored some of the problems associated with current procedures for the ascertainment of suicide. METHOD: A sample of 242 deaths which were known to have been self-inflicted was followed up through the coroners' courts where causes of death were legally established. RESULTS: Verdicts other than suicide were returned on half of the men, and on one-quarter of the women. CONCLUSIONS: For suicide statistics to become valid indicators of suicide rates it might be more appropriate to apply the civil, rather than the criminal, standard of proof during inquest proceedings.