Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System
IntroductionSuicide pacts are lethal acts of violence involving multiple decedents. No study has ever compared suicide pact types using a large sample, limiting our understanding of this rare but serious phenomenon. The objective of the current study was to describe suicide pacts in the United State...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139305/full |
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| author | Kawon Victoria Kim Kawon Victoria Kim Cayley Russell Cayley Russell Mark S. Kaplan Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Shannon Lange Shannon Lange Shannon Lange |
| author_facet | Kawon Victoria Kim Kawon Victoria Kim Cayley Russell Cayley Russell Mark S. Kaplan Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Shannon Lange Shannon Lange Shannon Lange |
| author_sort | Kawon Victoria Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionSuicide pacts are lethal acts of violence involving multiple decedents. No study has ever compared suicide pact types using a large sample, limiting our understanding of this rare but serious phenomenon. The objective of the current study was to describe suicide pacts in the United States and empirically compare suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm with those that involved assisted suicide.MethodsUsing restricted access incident-level data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, we identified 277 suicide pact incidents (225 suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm and 52 suicide pacts wherein one pact member died by assisted suicide). The two suicide pact types were compared for demographics, pact characteristics, and preceding circumstances.ResultsCompared with decedents of suicide pacts involving assisted suicide, decedents of suicide pacts wherein both members died by self-harm had significantly lower odds of being non-white, Hispanic or non-Hispanic (OR = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.64), using an active method of suicide (i.e., ICD-10 codes X70-X83) (OR = 0.01, 95%CI: <0.01, 0.04), and experiencing interpersonal relationship problems (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.27, 0.87) and a crisis within two weeks of their death (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36, 0.97), but greater odds of preceding physical health problems (OR = 3.25, 95%CI: 1.84, 6.04).DiscussionOverall, our findings indicate that suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm and suicide pacts that involved an assisted suicide appear to have largely distinct profiles. While further research is required, the discrete characteristics of these two types of suicide pacts have important implications for prevention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:17:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38a8d2dfae9d4c0b92ae360cf8f50c8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:17:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-38a8d2dfae9d4c0b92ae360cf8f50c8d2023-05-05T06:04:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-05-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.11393051139305Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting SystemKawon Victoria Kim0Kawon Victoria Kim1Cayley Russell2Cayley Russell3Mark S. Kaplan4Jürgen Rehm5Jürgen Rehm6Jürgen Rehm7Jürgen Rehm8Jürgen Rehm9Jürgen Rehm10Jürgen Rehm11Jürgen Rehm12Jürgen Rehm13Shannon Lange14Shannon Lange15Shannon Lange16Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaOntario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaLuskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaOntario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaInstitute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, GermanyDepartment of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia0Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Suchtforschung (ZIS), Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaIntroductionSuicide pacts are lethal acts of violence involving multiple decedents. No study has ever compared suicide pact types using a large sample, limiting our understanding of this rare but serious phenomenon. The objective of the current study was to describe suicide pacts in the United States and empirically compare suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm with those that involved assisted suicide.MethodsUsing restricted access incident-level data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, we identified 277 suicide pact incidents (225 suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm and 52 suicide pacts wherein one pact member died by assisted suicide). The two suicide pact types were compared for demographics, pact characteristics, and preceding circumstances.ResultsCompared with decedents of suicide pacts involving assisted suicide, decedents of suicide pacts wherein both members died by self-harm had significantly lower odds of being non-white, Hispanic or non-Hispanic (OR = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.64), using an active method of suicide (i.e., ICD-10 codes X70-X83) (OR = 0.01, 95%CI: <0.01, 0.04), and experiencing interpersonal relationship problems (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.27, 0.87) and a crisis within two weeks of their death (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36, 0.97), but greater odds of preceding physical health problems (OR = 3.25, 95%CI: 1.84, 6.04).DiscussionOverall, our findings indicate that suicide pacts wherein all decedents died by self-harm and suicide pacts that involved an assisted suicide appear to have largely distinct profiles. While further research is required, the discrete characteristics of these two types of suicide pacts have important implications for prevention.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139305/fullsuicidesuicide pactmental healthpublic healthUnited States |
| spellingShingle | Kawon Victoria Kim Kawon Victoria Kim Cayley Russell Cayley Russell Mark S. Kaplan Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Jürgen Rehm Shannon Lange Shannon Lange Shannon Lange Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System Frontiers in Psychiatry suicide suicide pact mental health public health United States |
| title | Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System |
| title_full | Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System |
| title_fullStr | Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System |
| title_short | Types of suicide pacts: a comparative analysis using the National Violent Death Reporting System |
| title_sort | types of suicide pacts a comparative analysis using the national violent death reporting system |
| topic | suicide suicide pact mental health public health United States |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139305/full |
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