Suicide deaths in dammam, kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Retrospective study

Abstract

A retrospective study was carried out on 126 suicide cases autopsied at the Forensic Medicine Center in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 2000 to 2003. Of these 126 cases, 109 (86.5%) were males and 17 (13.49%) were females, and the ratio of the males to females was 6.4:1 with the highest ratio in 2000 (10:1). Around 88% of the studied subjects were in their third or fourth decades. The largest percentage of suicides were among non-Saudis, and the highest is the Indian population with 54 cases (42.85%), followed by Saudi nationals (15.07%) and then ten other nationalities. Suicide by hanging was the most common method (89.68%), followed by firearms in only eight individuals (5.55%) and other four methods of suicide. Family troubles were documented in 5.5% of cases. While a history of psychological illnesses was more than double this figure, 13.49%. Suicide notes were discovered at the scene of death in five cases. Postmortem blood alcohol was found in only 5.55% of cases, and toxicological analysis resulted in the detection of amphetamine and cannabinoids in 3.69% and 1.587% of them, respectively. There was an unstable curve in suicide rate in Dammam; in 2000 there were 33 cases, with fewer in 2001, more in 2002, and the fewest in 2003.