PREVALENCE AND FORENSIC EVALUATION OF SUICIDAL METHODS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS IN DISTRICT PESHAWAR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52764/jms.26.34.3.5Abstract
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and methods of suicide in District Peshawar and to analyze their associations with demographic variables such as age, sex, residence, education, and socioeconomic status.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology from January 2025 to December 2025. A total of 84 confirmed suicidal deaths that underwent medico-legal autopsy were included in this study. Data were collected using a structured pro forma that included demographic information and method of suicide. Forensic examination involved analysis of injury patterns and toxicology. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests applied, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Of 84 cases, males accounted for 73.8%, and females for 26.2%. The male-to-female ratio was 2.8:1. The majority of suicide victims, i.e., 59.5%, were in the age group of 21-40 years. Firearm use was the most common suicide method, i.e., 65.5%, followed by hanging, 17.9%, and poisoning, 16.6%. Most suicide victims came from urban areas (59.5%) and had low socioeconomic status (61.9%). Firearm use was common among males, whereas females used non-firearm methods for suicide.
Conclusion: Suicide deaths in District Peshawar are largely among young adult males, and firearms are the most common method. Socioeconomic and demographic factors are important determinants of suicide, and this underlines the importance of prevention and the need to provide access to mental health services.
Keywords: Suicide, Forensic medicine, Firearms, Autopsy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hakim Khan Afridi, Anwar Ali, Qurat ul Ain Zafar, Syed Nasir Aleem, Muhammad Arshad Hussain, Muhammad Wasif, Noor ul Baqi
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