Epidemiology of Self-Immolation in the North-West of Iran

Öz

-

Anahtar Kelimeler

• -

Epidemiology of Self-Immolation in the North-West of Iran

Öz

Aim: This study was carried out to investigate the incidence, time trend, influencing factors and survival of self-immolation in the North-West of Iran. Methods: In this research, medical records of ninety eight cases who attempted suicide by selfimmolation between 1998 and 2003 were studied. Data collected included age, weight, sex, marital status, date of burn, length of stay in the hospital, body surface burned (in percent), external cause of death, psychiatric diagnosis of patients, and outcome. Incidence rates and descriptive statistics were calculated to document the epidemiological features of the selfimmolation in the region. Survival rates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method to assess the survival pattern of the suicide by self-immolation. Results: The mean age of subjects was 27 years (range: 11-68 years). The female / male ratio was 3.3. Most of the cases were married (55 percent). There was an increasing trend in the incidence rate of self-immolation from 1998 (1.48 per 1000,000 population, CI95%: 0.2-2.8) to 2003 (7.7 per 1000,000 population, CI95%: 4.8-10.5). Two and five weeks survival rates for suicide by self-immolation were 25 percent (CI 95%: 16-34) and 15 (CI 95%: 6-24), respectively. Conclusion: Availability of family mental health centers, easy access to emergency services, and psycho-educational programmes to high-risk groups (i.e. young women) may reduce the increasing rate of self-immolation in the region. Key words: Epidemiology, Self-immolation, Iran

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Epidemiology, Self-immolation, Iran

Kaynakça

1. Cave Bondi G. Cipolloni L, Parroni E, Cecchi R. A review of suicides by burning in Rome between 1947–1997 examined by the Pathology Department of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’. Burns 2001;27:227-31
2. Rastegar Lari A, Alaghebandan R. Epidemiological Study of self-inflicted burns in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Burn Care Rehabilitation 2004;24:5-20
3. Sheth H., Dziewulski P, Settle JA. Self-inflicted burns: A common way of suicide in the Asian population. A 10- year retrospective study. Burns 1994;20: 334–5
4. Gehlot PS, Nathawat SS. Suicide and family constellation in India. Am. J. Psycother 1983;37:273–8
5. Singh B Ganeson D, Chattopadhyay PK. Pattern of suicide in Delhi: A study of cases reported at the Police Morgue, Dehli. Med. Sci. Law 1982;22:195–8
6. Zarghami M, Khalilian AR. Deliberate self-burning in Mazandaran, Iran. Burns 2002;28:115-9
7. Hamshahri Newspaper. Available at: www.hamshahri.com.(12/24/2003).
8. Açikel C. Peker F, Ebrinç S, Ülkür E, Çeliköz B. Self-inflicted Burns Initiated as a Scio-Economic or Political Protest. Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters 2001;14:168-74

9. Iran Newspaper. Available at: www.Iran- newspaper.com(10/08/2004).
10. Hamidinia S, Donyavi V. Epidemiology of completed suicides in Tabriz in1998 and 1999. Unpublished MD thesis in Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Tabriz Medical Sciences University
11. Groohi B, Alghehbandan R, Rastgar lari A(2002) Analysis of 1089 burn patient in province of Kurdistan, Iran. Burns 28: 569-574
12. Dibaei A, Gharebagi R(2000) A study of self-immolation cases led to death in Legal Medicine Center of Ahvaz. Scientific journal of legal Medicine 1:5- 10.
13. Rothschild MA, Ratschen HJ, Schneider V. Suicide by self-immolation in Berlin from 1990-2000. Forensic Sciences International 2001;124:163-6
14. O’Donoghue JM,Panchal JL,O’Sullivan ST et al. A study of suicide and attempted suicide by self-immolation in an Irish psychiatric population: an increasing problem. Burns 1998;24:144-6
15. Ho WS, Ying S. Suicidal Burns in Hong Kong Chinese. Burns 2001,24:125-7
16. Mc Donald M.Young women in rural Uzbekistan seek escape by self-immolation. Available at: www.Axisolflogic.com/ artman/publish/printer_7020.html. 2004
17. Iran Newspaper. Available on: www.Iran- newspaper.com. (06/06/2004).
18. BBC Monitoring South Asia. Afghan weekly says non-political reasons behind self-immolation .(3 /3/ 2004). Available at: http://home.wlu.edu/~goluboffs/260/ Afghanistan_suicide.html.
19. Mabrouk AR,Mahmood Omar AD,Massoud K,Magdy Sherif,and El Sayed N. Suicide by Burns: a tragic end. Burns 1999;25: 337-9
20. Mzezewa S, Jonsson K.,Aberg M.,and Salemark l. A prospective study of suicidal burns admitted to Harare burns unit.Burns 2000;26:460-4
21. LaoeV, Ganesan M. Self-immolation as a common suicidal behavior in Eastern Sri Lanka. Burns 2002;28:475-80
22. Wagle SA, Wagle AC, Apte JS. Patients with suicidal burns and accidental burns: a comparative study of socio-demographic profile in India. Burns 1999;25:158-61
23. Kumar V. Burnt wives: a study of suicides Burns 2003;29:31-5
24. Esfandiari G. Self-immolation of women on the rise in the western provinces.03/ 01/2001.Available at: www.rawa.fancyma rketing.net/immolation2.htm.
25. Astill J. Desperate Afghan Women Seek Distributing Rise in Suicide Despite The Fall of The Misogynist Taliban. The Guardian-UK (04/24/2004). Available at: www.rense.com.general52/self.htm.
26. Cameron DR ,Pegg SP,and Muller,M. Self-inflicted burns. Burns 1997;23:519
27. Krummen DM, Kelly J, Klein R. Suicide by burning: a retrospective review of the Akron Regional Burn Center. Burns 1998;24:147-9
28. Ganizadeh MJ,Sepehr V and Tavakkoli A . A study of suicide in Yazd. Available at: www.Irandoc.ac.ir.
29. Palmu R ,Isometsa E,Suominen K,Vulola J.,Leppavuori A , and Lonnqvist J. Self- inflicted burns: eight year retrospective study in Finland. Burns 2004;30:443-7
30. Nakae H,Zheng YJ,Wada H,Jajimi,K and Endo S. Characteristics of self-immolation attempts in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Burns 2003;29:691-6
31. Haberal M ,Oner L,Golay,K,Bayraktar U,and Bilgin N. Suicide attempted by burning. Annals of the Burns and Fire Disasters 1989;2:12-3