Comparative analysis of suicide, accidental, and undetermined cause of death classification.

Suicide determination is not standardized across medical examiners, and many suspected suicides are later classified as accidental or undetermined. The present study investigated patterns between these three groups using a medical examiner database and 633 structured interviews with next of kin. There were similarities across all three classification groups, including rates of mental illness and psychiatric symptoms. Those classified suicide were more likely to be male, to have died in a violent fashion, and have a stronger family history of suicide. Chronic pain was very common across all three groups, but significantly higher in the accidental and undetermined groups.

[1]  N. Patel,et al.  Surveillance for violent deaths--National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 states, 2009. , 2012, Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries.

[2]  J. Overholser,et al.  Understanding suicide risk: identification of high-risk groups during high-risk times. , 2012, Journal of clinical psychology.

[3]  Elizabeth Weirich,et al.  Guidelines for safe work practices in human and animal medical diagnostic laboratories. Recommendations of a CDC-convened, Biosafety Blue Ribbon Panel. , 2012, MMWR supplements.

[4]  Preben Bo Mortensen,et al.  Absolute risk of suicide after first hospital contact in mental disorder. , 2011, Archives of general psychiatry.

[5]  P. Lichtenstein,et al.  Familial clustering of suicide risk: a total population study of 11.4 million individuals , 2011, Psychological Medicine.

[6]  Tom Foster,et al.  Adverse Life Events Proximal to Adult Suicide: A Synthesis of Findings from Psychological Autopsy Studies , 2011, Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research.

[7]  M. Cannon,et al.  Psychotic-like experiences in the general population: characterizing a high-risk group for psychosis , 2010, Psychological Medicine.

[8]  Ingrid C. Lim,et al.  Overcoming the fear of lethal injury: evaluating suicidal behavior in the military through the lens of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide. , 2010, Clinical psychology review.

[9]  Tracy K. Witte,et al.  Main predictions of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior: empirical tests in two samples of young adults. , 2009, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[10]  M. Voracek,et al.  Genetics of suicide: a systematic review of twin studies , 2007, Wiener klinische Wochenschrift.

[11]  R. Edwards,et al.  Pain-related catastrophizing as a risk factor for suicidal ideation in chronic pain , 2006, Pain.

[12]  S. Timmermans.  Suicide Determination and the Professional Authority of Medical Examiners , 2005 .

[13]  Ping Qin,et al.  Suicide risk in relation to psychiatric hospitalization: evidence based on longitudinal registers. , 2005, Archives of general psychiatry.

[14]  J. Lonnqvist,et al.  Suicides hidden among undetermined deaths , 1998, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[15]  R. Hanzlick,et al.  Mind your manners. Part II: General results from the National Association of Medical Examiners Manner of Death Questionnaire, 1995. , 1997, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[16]  R. Hanzlick,et al.  Mind your manners. Part III: Individual scenario results and discussion of the National Association of Medical Examiners Manner of Death Questionnaire, 1995. , 1997, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[17]  R. Hanzlick.  Lawsuits against medical examiners or coroners arising from death certificates. , 1997, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology.

[18]  D. Phillips,et al.  Adequacy of official suicide statistics for scientific research and public policy. , 1993, Suicide & life-threatening behavior.

[19]  P. O'Carroll.  A consideration of the validity and reliability of suicide mortality data. , 1989, Suicide & life-threatening behavior.

[20]  D H Mills,et al.  Operational criteria for the determination of suicide. , 1988, Journal of forensic sciences.

[21]  D. Walsh,et al.  Suicide in Dublin: I. The Under-reporting of Suicide and the Consequences for National Statistics , 1975, British Journal of Psychiatry.