Suicidal hanging in Pakistan: an exploratory two-year content analysis study

Abstract

Suicidal hanging is common in Pakistan and is considered a serious challenge globally. We conducted a content analysis of reports about suicidal hangings published in six English-language newspapers in Pakistan between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022, employing a web-searching technique.124 news reports were yielded; suicidal authors were males (68.5%), Muslims (69.4%), and unmarried (31.4%), aged 16- 30 years old. Ligatures employed in hanging suicides were ropes (28.2%), fabrics (20.9%), and electric wires (20.1%). The most frequent leverage-points selected in suicides were ceiling fans (37%) followed by trees (11.2%). Familial discords (19.2%) and poverty (9.6%) were the leading risk factors for hanging suicide. Most of the suicides (58%) occurred equally in the spring (29%) and autumn (29%) months. These evidences suggest that psychological interventions on families are crucial. Also, dealing with poverty and other social consequences in Pakistan as in the rest of the world may probably reduce the rate of yearly suicides.

Keywords: Pakistan; Suicide; content analysis; hanging; newspapers.