title: Suicides committed by minors.
abstract: The bodies of 76 minors, below 18 years of age, who died as a consequence of committing suicide during the years 1960 to 1974 were examined in the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Cracow. The youngest victim was a boy 8 1/2 years of age. The majority of cases (63) referred to minors aged 16-18. The deaths were due to: hanging (41 cases), poisoning (17 cases), leaping from a height (7 cases), and others (11 cases including one case of self shooting). Among the motives for suicide the first place is taken by personal troubles, mostly school failures, then bad health and family conflicts. Prior suicidal attempts were noted in 13 cases and in 10 others oral declarations of suicide were made. Motives for suicide essentially differ from those found in earlier studies from the years 1881-1939, where ill luck in love and undesired pregnancy were treated as one of the important factors leading to suicide.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012621:Seasons; D013405:Suicide / Q000453:epidemiology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted