Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims
Background/Aim. Suicide and homicide are crucial social problems, especially frequent among the population younger than 40 years. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of different sociodemographic factors and relevant psychoactive substances on the difference between homicide and suicid...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Military Health Department, Ministry of Defance, Serbia
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Vojnosanitetski Pregled |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0042-8450/2023/0042-84502200061B.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797807531161026560 |
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| author | Bogdanović Milenko Babić Miloš D. Jaković Dušan Radnić Bojana Aćimović Tijana Alempijević Đorđe Pavlekić Snežana |
| author_facet | Bogdanović Milenko Babić Miloš D. Jaković Dušan Radnić Bojana Aćimović Tijana Alempijević Đorđe Pavlekić Snežana |
| author_sort | Bogdanović Milenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Aim. Suicide and homicide are crucial social problems, especially frequent among the population younger than 40 years. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of different sociodemographic factors and relevant psychoactive substances on the difference between homicide and suicide victims. Methods. A cross-sectional study analyzed autopsy reports of 714 suicide and 166 homicide cases autopsied in five years (2011–2016). Out of these, 666 suicide and 127 homicide cases met the inclusion criteria for this study. Blood-ethanol concentration was determined by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Analysis of substances other than ethanol was accomplished by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Results. There was a significant difference in age, level of education, and employment rate between suicide and homicide cases (p < 0.05). The distribution of suicide and homicide cases differed significantly on weekdays compared to week-ends [odds ratio(OR) = 1.5; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1–2.3; p < 0.05]. The presence of a psychoactive substance remained a nonsignificant predictor of whether a person would become a homicide or suicide victim (p > 0.05). Homicide victims were more likely to have significantly higher blood alcohol concentration (0.2–0.3 g/dL) than suicide victims (OR = 2.2; 95 % CI = 1–5; p < 0.05). Conclusion. The age, level of education, employment status, and high blood alcohol concentration (0.2–0.3 g/dL) of the victim were significantly different between suicide and homicide cases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:23:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95587db3bfb04cb7916a66075dede5f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-8450 2406-0720 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:23:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Military Health Department, Ministry of Defance, Serbia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vojnosanitetski Pregled |
| spelling | doaj.art-95587db3bfb04cb7916a66075dede5f32023-06-09T10:44:56ZengMilitary Health Department, Ministry of Defance, SerbiaVojnosanitetski Pregled0042-84502406-07202023-01-0180433033610.2298/VSP220320061B0042-84502200061BComparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victimsBogdanović Milenko0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4471-5011Babić Miloš D.1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3226-003XJaković Dušan2Radnić Bojana3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9854-2649Aćimović Tijana4Alempijević Đorđe5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0810-9559Pavlekić Snežana6University of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, Belgrade, SerbiaInstitute for Cardiovascular Diseases Dedinje, Department of Cardiology, Belgrade, SerbiaInstitute for Mental Health, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, Belgrade, SerbiaBackground/Aim. Suicide and homicide are crucial social problems, especially frequent among the population younger than 40 years. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of different sociodemographic factors and relevant psychoactive substances on the difference between homicide and suicide victims. Methods. A cross-sectional study analyzed autopsy reports of 714 suicide and 166 homicide cases autopsied in five years (2011–2016). Out of these, 666 suicide and 127 homicide cases met the inclusion criteria for this study. Blood-ethanol concentration was determined by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Analysis of substances other than ethanol was accomplished by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Results. There was a significant difference in age, level of education, and employment rate between suicide and homicide cases (p < 0.05). The distribution of suicide and homicide cases differed significantly on weekdays compared to week-ends [odds ratio(OR) = 1.5; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1–2.3; p < 0.05]. The presence of a psychoactive substance remained a nonsignificant predictor of whether a person would become a homicide or suicide victim (p > 0.05). Homicide victims were more likely to have significantly higher blood alcohol concentration (0.2–0.3 g/dL) than suicide victims (OR = 2.2; 95 % CI = 1–5; p < 0.05). Conclusion. The age, level of education, employment status, and high blood alcohol concentration (0.2–0.3 g/dL) of the victim were significantly different between suicide and homicide cases.https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0042-8450/2023/0042-84502200061B.pdfautopsyalcohol drinkingchromatographyeducationhomiciderisk factorssex factorssociodemographic factorssuicidesubstance related disorders |
| spellingShingle | Bogdanović Milenko Babić Miloš D. Jaković Dušan Radnić Bojana Aćimović Tijana Alempijević Đorđe Pavlekić Snežana Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims Vojnosanitetski Pregled autopsy alcohol drinking chromatography education homicide risk factors sex factors sociodemographic factors suicide substance related disorders |
| title | Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| title_full | Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| title_fullStr | Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| title_short | Comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| title_sort | comparative evaluation of toxicology and sociodemographic characteristics in homicide and suicide victims |
| topic | autopsy alcohol drinking chromatography education homicide risk factors sex factors sociodemographic factors suicide substance related disorders |
| url | https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0042-8450/2023/0042-84502200061B.pdf |
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