Suicide by Drowning in Uusimaa Province in Southern Finland

Abstract

This study investigates drownings in Uusimaa province in Finland in order to form a picture of the people who end their lives in this way. The material consisted of 285 successive drownings, which were subject to autopsy at the Helsinki University Department of Forensic Medicine between 1978 and 1986 and for whom diatom analysis was carried out. There were 51 definitive cases of suicide by drowning. For these, an analysis was made of age and sex distribution, alcohol and drugs, scene of the incident, significant diseases, social group, place of residence, information on suicide notes, previous suicide attempts, treatment for mental problems, depression preceding the suicide, talk of suicide and heavy use of alcohol. According to this material the typical Finnish drowning suicide is a man from 21 to 30 years old, who belongs to the lowest social group, is unmarried, and lives in Helsinki. He drowns sober during June in the shallow water off the coast of the Gulf of Finland, has previously attempted suicide, received treatment for mental problems, and has been depressed recently.