title: Suicide deaths in rural Andhra Pradesh--a cause for global health action.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the proportion of deaths attributable to suicides in rural Andhra Pradesh, India over a 4-year period using a verbal autopsy method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deaths occurring in 45 villages (population 185,629) were documented over a 4-year period from 2003 to 2007 by non-physician healthcare workers trained in the use of a verbal autopsy tool. Causes of death were assigned by physicians trained in the International Classification of Diseases, version 10. All data were entered and processed electronically using a secure study website.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Verbal autopsies were completed for 98.2% (5786) of the deaths (5895) recorded. The crude death rate was 8.0/1000. 4.8% (95% CI 4.3-5.4) of all deaths were suicides, giving a suicide rate of 37.5/100,000 population. Forty-three percent of suicides occurred in the age group 15-29 years, and 62% were in men. In the younger age groups (10-29 years), suicides by women (56%) were more common than by men (44%). Poisoning (40%) was the most common method of self-harm followed by hanging (12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The suicide rate in this part of rural Andhra Pradesh is three times higher than the national average of 11.2/100,000, but is in line with that reported in the Million Death Study. There is an urgent need to develop strategies targeted at young individuals to prevent deaths by suicide in India.
authors.affiliation: George Institute for Global Health - Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rohina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guggilla
authors.forename: Devarsetty
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Praveen
authors.forename: Pallab K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Maulik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Inde rurale; India rural; autopsias verbales; autopsie verbale; décès par suicide; muerte por suicidio; rural India; suicide deaths; verbal autopsy