title: Paired suicide in a young refugee couple on the Thai-Myanmar border.
abstract: A young refugee woman attended antenatal clinic on the Thai-Myanmar border at 9 weeks' gestation. As part of an ongoing study of perinatal mental health, she underwent a structured psychiatric interview during which she described occasional depressed mood, anhedonia and passive suicidal ideation. Her husband was a young refugee known to use alcohol and drugs. 2 days later, the couple committed suicide together by herbicide ingestion. Refugee populations are at risk of developing mental disorders as a result of their marginalised status, socioeconomic disadvantage and exposures to trauma. Pregnancy may have exacerbated feelings of hopelessness in this couple. The prevalence of mental disorders such as depression is increased in the perinatal period and suicide is the second leading cause of death in young women globally. Prevention programmes and early recognition of mental disorders may improve detection and lead to better support for vulnerable individuals.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Maternal and Child Health Team, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Gracia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fellmeth
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Maternal and Child Health Team, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: May May
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Oo
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Maternal and Child Health Team, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Billion
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lay
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Maternal and Child Health Team, Mae Sot, Thailand Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGready
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002052:Myanmar / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013785:Thailand; D055815:Young Adult