Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-p566r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T09:30:05.942Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Suicides by Burning in England and Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

David Prosser*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School, London
*
David Prosser, c/o Maudsley Continuing Care Study, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF

Abstract

Background

The aim was to examine suicides by burning (SBB) occurring in England and Wales.

Method

The method was a retrospective case note examination of death certificates, coroners' inquest notes and GP notes for all SBBs registered in 1991 by OPCS in England and Wales, and an examination of SBB statistics from 1979–1992.

Results

In 24% of cases the incident involved others either as intended or actual victims or as witnesses, and three distinct groups (Asian-born women, schizophrenics, and homicide–suicides) were over-represented. The majority were not in contact with current psychiatric services, and 43% had never had contact with psychiatric services. There was no trend in SBB compared to other suicides in 1979–1992.

Conclusions

While SBB may be associated with Asian-born women, homicide–suicide and schizophrenia, the majority of cases did not have these characteristics, and the overall psychiatric contact rate was similar to suicide by unspecified means.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andreasen, N. C. & Noyes, R. (1975) Suicide attempted by self-immolation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 554556.Google Scholar
Ashton, J. R. (1980) The epidemic of suicide by fire. New Society, 54, 5860.Google Scholar
Ashton, J. R. (1994) Preventing epidemic suicide in young people. Lancet, 344, 768.Google Scholar
Ashton, J. R. & Donnan, S. (1979) Suicide by burning – a current epidemic. British Medical Journal, 360, 769770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashton, J. R. & Donnan, S. (1981) Suicide by burning as an epidemic phenomenon: an analysis of 82 deaths and inquests in England and Wales in 1978–79. Psychological Medicine, 11, 735739.Google Scholar
Barraclough, B., Bunch, J., Nelson, B., et al (1974) A hundred cases of suicide: clinical aspects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 125, 355373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cantor, C. H., Hill, M. A. & McLachlan, E. K. (1989) Suicide and related behaviour from river bridges, a clinical perspective. British Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 829835.Google Scholar
Department of Health (1994) The Health of the Nation. Key area handbook, Mental Illness (2nd edn). London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Emmerson, B. & Cantor, C. (1993) Train suicides in Brisbane, Australia, 1980–1986. Crisis, 14, 9094.Google Scholar
Haskey, J. (1990) The ethnic minority populations of Great Britain: estimates by ethnic group and country of birth. Population Trends, 60, 3538.Google Scholar
Hawton, K. (1987) Assessment of suicide risk. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 145153.Google Scholar
Headley, L. A. (1983) Suicide in Asia and the Near East. California: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Home Office (1993) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1991. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
King, E. & Barraclough, B. (1990) Violent death and mental illness. A study of a single catchment area over eight years. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 714720.Google Scholar
O'Donnell, I. & Farmer, R. (1995) The limitations of official suicide statistics. British Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 458461.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1981–1993) Mortality Statistics 1979–1992. England and Wales. Cause. Series DH.2. No. 6–19. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Scully, J. H. & Hutcherson, R. (1983) Suicide by burning. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 905906.Google Scholar
Secretary of State for Health (1991) The Health of the Nation. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Shkrum, M. J. & Johnston, K. A. (1992) Fire and suicide: A three year study of self-immolation deaths. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 37, 208221.Google Scholar
Soni Raleigh, V., Bulusu, L. & Balarajan, R. (1990) Suicides among immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 4650.Google Scholar
Soni Raleigh, V., & Balarajan, R. (1992) Suicide and self-burning among Indians and West Indians in England and Wales. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 365368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sonneborn, C. K. & Vanstraelen, P. M. (1992) A retrospective study of self-inflicted burns. General Hospital Psychiatry, 14, 404407.Google Scholar
Suk, J. H., Chang, H. H. & Yeon, B. K. (1991) Suicide by burning in Korea. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 37, 141145.Google Scholar
Venkoba Rao, A. (1983) India. In Suicide in Asia and the Near East (ed Headley, L. A.), pp. 210237. California: University of California Press.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1979) The Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–9). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.