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Methods used for suicide by farmers in England and Wales

The contribution of availability and its relevance to prevention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Keith Hawton ,
Joan Fagg ,
Sue Simkin ,
Louise Harriss  and
Aslög Malmberg
Keith Hawton*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Joan Fagg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Sue Simkin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Louise Harriss
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Aslög Malmberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
*
Professor Keith Hawton, University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JX
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Abstract

Background

Farmers in the UK have an elevated risk of suicide. It has been suggested that this may be related to their ease of access to dangerous means for suicidal behaviour. The extent to which farmers use these means and changes in their use may be relevant to suicide prevention.

Method

Data on 719 deaths in farmers of both genders in England and Wales between 1981 and 1993 in which a verdict of suicide or undetermined cause (open verdict) was recorded were analysed.

Results

Of 702 deaths in male farmers, farms were involved in 40.0%, hanging in 29.6%, carbon monoxide in 16.4%, poisoning in 8.0% (over half of which involved agricultural or horticultural poisons) and other methods in 6.1%. There was a considerable excess of deaths due to firearms compared with the distribution of methods of suicide and open verdict deaths in males in the general population. Hanging was also somewhat more frequent. During the study period there was a reduction in firearm death rates, particularly after 1989 when there was national legislation on firearm ownership, registration and storage. There were also fewer farming suicides after this date. By the end of the study period hanging was more frequent than deaths involving firearms.

Conclusions

Farmers who commit suicide tend to use methods to which they have easy access. Restriction of the ready availability of such methods, particularly in farmers known to be depressed or otherwise at risk, might prevent some suicides.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 173 , Issue 4 , October 1998 , pp. 320 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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