Suicide Trend in University Students during 2003 to 2008

The present study was carried out to investigate suicide among students based on the variables of sex, age, season and month, location and method of suicide. The exact time of suicide, drug use, history of psychiatric disorders, history of suicide attempt and self mutilation, field of education, and history of either attempting or committing suicide among friends and relatives were also considered. This research was a descriptive study, and the study sample comprised all suicide cases referred to the legal medicine organization. Data were collected during one retrospective and one prospective stage by assessing the students’ profiles and interviewing their family members. During the timeline between 2003 and 2008 the sum of 337 cases of suicide were committed, most of them had occurred in the summer and at the victims’ homes. Hanging and bleeding had the highest and the lowest prevalence among suicide methods respectively. Interview results showed that most of the suicide victims were males, city dwellers, 22-years-olds, single, students of human sciences, sophomores, and students of Islamic Azad University. Most suicides were committed at daytimes, on Mondays, Sundays, Fridays, and on vacations between terms. The findings of the current study could be helpful in discovering the basic factors of suicide attempt among students’ suicide, and offer strategies for preventing and reducing the rate of suicide in the country.