The Demographic Profile of Suicidal Hanging Deaths in North India

Abstract

Background: Suicidal hanging is the most prevalent means of suicide worldwide, particularly among young people, and reveals the state of mental health in certain indigenous populations. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, hanging was the most frequent cause of suicide in India in 2019 and 2020, accounting for 53.6% and 57.8% of total suicidal deaths.

Aim: The current study examines the seasonal distribution of suicide-hanging fatalities in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, as well as the male and female incidence.

Methods: A four-year retrospective examination of autopsy data at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, from October 2018 to July 2022. A total of 1720 autopsies were performed during this period with 130 (7.56%) suicidal hangings.

Results: Males were disproportionately impacted (n=100, 76.92%). The ratio of men to women is 3.33:1. The mean ages of the males and females were 33.09 ± 12.59 and 24.9 ± 7.84 years, respectively. The majority of deaths occur in the third decade of life. The summer months saw the highest number of deaths (April-June).

Conclusion: This data may be used to identify persons with a higher chance of committing suicide by hanging and can be utilized to help people through a nationwide suicidal prevention program that employs a multi-disciplinary team approach. Epidemiological studies should evaluate the psychosocial characteristics of men and women separately to identify the population at risk and develop preventative approaches.

Limitations: This is a single-center, retrospective study.

Keywords: autopsy; death; hanging; season; suicide.

Figure 1. Month-wise distribution of hanging fatalities

Figure 2. Suicidal hanging fatalities were distributed seasonally.