Railway suicide in England and Wales, 1850-1949.
According to the official statistics of the Registrar General, the first railway suicide occurred in 1852 and more than 10,000 suicides recorded during the period 1852-1949. Throughout this time the number of male cases always exceeded the number of female cases and the railway accounted for a greater proportion of male than female suicides in all but two years. By the early decades of the twentieth century, the railway was used in 5-6% of male suicides and 3-4% of female suicides. The incidence of railway suicide was correlated with the growth of the railway system offering some evidence for the relationship between availability of a lethal means and suicide rates.
Clarke
M
M
ICRF Cancer Studies Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford University, U.K.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011890:Railroads / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013405:Suicide / Q000266:history* / Q000639:trends; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology