title: Suicide rates in Ireland.
abstract: From a total of 410 post-mortem examinations on Galway residents deceased in 1978 the examining pathologist and 3 psychiatrists were in close agreement in 22 cases that death was by suicide. These figures were extrapolated, and a Republic of Ireland minimum true rate of suicide was computed which was 3 times greater than the official reported rate. Irish suicide data were found not to be dependent on coroners' reports as is commonly believed. It is concluded that under-reporting reduces Irish suicide rates to a far greater extent than has been supposed. The substitution of clinical for legalistic methods of recording suicide data is recommended.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003334:Coroners and Medical Examiners / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom