Suicides in female prisoners in England and Wales, 1978-2004.
We calculated, in narrow age bands, suicide rates for female prisoners compared with the general population between 1978 and 2004. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for suicide was 20.7 (95% CI 16.7-25.7), with a higher excess in younger women (<25 years, SMR=40 (95% CI 29-57); >or=25 years, SMR=20 (95% CI 15-26)). There was a trend over time for SMRs to have increased, supporting the need for recent national initiatives for suicide prevention in prisoners.
Fazel
Seena
S
University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK. seena.fazel@psych.ox.ac.uk
Benning
Ram
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult