{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T01:08:11Z","timestamp":1790644091006,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"824","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[1994,6,1]],"date-time":"1994-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":770428800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1994,6,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Summary<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Of the 400 consecutive completed suicides investigated over a 5-year period, 114 (28.5%) who had consulted a doctor in the week preceding death were specifically reviewed and compared with those who did not. The study comprised an analysis of the medical history, the scene of death and a complete autopsy with histological and toxicological examination and the identification of features which occurred more frequently in this group when compared with other suicides not contacting their doctors.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Suicide-associated factors include psychiatric illness (58.8%), deteriorating health (16.7%), and a loss of spouse (7.0%); all these features were manifested by this group of suicides more frequently than by those who made no clinical contact (P &amp;lt; 0.001). A pre-indication of suicidal intention was made by 45% of these patients. This feature, as with previous attempts, occurred more commonly in patients who consulted a doctor (P &amp;lt; 0.001).<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Drug overdose was the most common suicidal method chosen (50.9%) and anti-depressants predominated (35%); 78% of those who overdosed ingested prescribed drugs. Poisoning was more common in this group (P &amp;lt; 0.001).<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Half of the victims committed suicide within 24 hours following consultation; of these, 51% overdosed on drugs with 61% of them ingesting their prescribed drugs. Of these 114 cases, the final consultation in 43% was to collect more drugs. All suicidal threats should be taken seriously, and particular care should be taken in prescribing and dispensing medication which may be fatal in overdose.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/pgmj.70.824.428","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,12,29]],"date-time":"2008-12-29T21:25:21Z","timestamp":1230585921000},"page":"428-432","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Clinical contact preceding suicide"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"70","author":[{"given":"J O","family":"Obafunwa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Pathology, University Medical School , Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Busuttil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Pathology, University Medical School , Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1994,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"355","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.125.4.355","article-title":"A hundred cases of suicide: clinical aspects","volume":"125","author":"Barraclough, B.; Bunch, J.; Nelson, B.; Sainsbury, P.","year":"1974","unstructured":"Barraclough, B., Bunch, J., Nelson, B. & Sainsbury, P. A hundred cases of suicide: clinical aspects. Br J Psychiat 1974, 125: 355-373.","journal-title":"Br J Psychiat"},{"issue":"49","key":"ref_2","first-page":"888","article-title":"Some clinical considerations in the prevention of suicide based on a study of 134 successful suicides","volume":"1959","author":"Robins, E.; Murphy, G.E.; Wilkinson, Jr, R.H.; Gassner, S.; Kayes, J.","unstructured":"Robins, E., Murphy, G.E., Wilkinson, R.H., Jr, Gassner, S. & Kayes, J. Some clinical considerations in the prevention of suicide based on a study of 134 successful suicides. Am J Public Health 1959, 49: 888-899.","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"490","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199208133270710","article-title":"Suicide - what can be done?","volume":"327","author":"Winokur, G.; Black, D.W.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Winokur, G. & Black, D.W. Suicide - what can be done? N Engl J Med 1992, 327: 490-491.","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-73358-1_8","article-title":"Self-inflicted death ( 1971-1985): preliminary results of a 15-year survey in an Inner City Area on the incidence and methods employed","volume-title":"Current Issues in Suicidology","author":"Chambers, D.R.; Harvey, J.G.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Chambers, D.R. & Harvey, J.G. Self-inflicted death (1971-1985): preliminary results of a 15-year survey in an Inner City Area on the incidence and methods employed. In: Moller, H.J., Schmidtke, A. & Welz, R. (eds) Current Issues in Suicidology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988, pp. 56-61."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.3109\/09540269209066316","article-title":"Suicide among adolescents","volume":"4","author":"Ryland, D.H.; Kruesi, M.J.P.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Ryland, D.H. & Kruesi, M.J.P. Suicide among adolescents. Int Rev Psychiatr 1992, 4: 185-195.","journal-title":"Int Rev Psychiatr"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1991.01810290030004","article-title":"The prediction of suicide: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of a multivariate model applied to suicide among 1906 patients with affective disorders","volume":"48","author":"Goldstein, R.B.; Black, D.W.; Nasrallah, A.; Winokur, G.","year":"1991","unstructured":"Goldstein, R.B., Black, D.W., Nasrallah, A. & Winokur, G. The prediction of suicide: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of a multivariate model applied to suicide among 1906 patients with affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiat 1991, 48: 418-422.","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiat"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0447.1989.tb01318.x","article-title":"Frequency of suicide in Gotland after systematic postgraduate education of general practitioners","volume":"80","author":"Rutz, W.; von Knorring, L.; Walinder, J.","year":"1989","unstructured":"Rutz, W., von Knorring, L. & Walinder, J. Frequency of suicide in Gotland after systematic postgraduate education of general practitioners. Acta Psychiat Scand 1989, 80: 151-154.","journal-title":"Acta Psychiat Scand"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1177\/002580249103100209","article-title":"Elderly suicides in the Lothian and Borders Region of Scotland, 1983-1988","volume":"31","author":"Squires, T.J.; Busuttil, A.","year":"1991","unstructured":"Squires, T.J. & Busuttil, A. Elderly suicides in the Lothian and Borders Region of Scotland, 1983-1988. Med Sci Law 1991, 31: 137-146.","journal-title":"Med Sci Law"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-73358-1_7","article-title":"Deliberate overdose in a hospital catchment area: preliminary results of a 7-year study","volume-title":"Current Issues in Suicidology","author":"Harvey, J.G.; Christian, M.S.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Harvey, J.G. & Christian, M.S. Deliberate overdose in a hospital catchment area: preliminary results of a 7-year study. In: Moller, H.J., Schmidtke, A. & Welz, R. (eds) Current Issues in Suicidology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988, pp. 50-55."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"39","article-title":"Depression: some newer treatments","volume":"22","author":"Wilson, K.; Ashworth, L.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Wilson, K. & Ashworth, L. Depression: some newer treatments. Geriatric Med 1992, 22: 39-41.","journal-title":"Geriatric Med"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1637","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.306.6893.1637","article-title":"High mortality by natural and unnatural causes: a 10 year follow up study of patients admitted to a poisoning treatment centre after suicide attempts","volume":"306","author":"Nordentaft, M.; Breum, L.; Munck, L.K.; Nordestgaard, A.G.; Hunding, A.; Bjaeldager, P.A.L.","year":"1993","unstructured":"Nordentaft, M., Breum, L., Munck, L.K., Nordestgaard, A.G., Hunding, A. & Bjaeldager, P.A.L. High mortality by natural and unnatural causes: a 10 year follow up study of patients admitted to a poisoning treatment centre after suicide attempts. Br Med J 1993, 306: 1637-1641.","journal-title":"Br Med J"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.3109\/09540269209066319","article-title":"Suicide among alcoholics","volume":"4","author":"Roy, A.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Roy, A. Suicide among alcoholics. Int Rev Psychiatr 1992, 4: 211-216.","journal-title":"Int Rev Psychiatr"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"782","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.298.6676.782","article-title":"Trends in suicide and unemployment in Scotland 1976-86","volume":"298","author":"Crombie, I.K.","year":"1989","unstructured":"Crombie, I.K. Trends in suicide and unemployment in Scotland 1976-86. Br Med J 1989, 298: 782-784.","journal-title":"Br Med J"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.3109\/09540269209066320","article-title":"Suicide in the elderly: aetiology and assessment","volume":"4","author":"Osgood, N.J.","year":"1992","unstructured":"Osgood, N.J. Suicide in the elderly: aetiology and assessment. 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