A study on suicide by self immolation.

Deaths from suicides reached a peak in Sri Lanka in 1995 to 48.7 per 100,000 population, the highest in the world. Several interventions reduced the rate to 20.6 per 100,000 in 2007 [1]. Self immolation (SI) as a method of suicide is reported from many developing countries [2,3]. In 2006, 3558 males and 946 females (total 4504) committed suicide in Sri Lanka. SI was the method used by 148 (3.3%) – 48 males and 130 females. We studied suicidal deaths from burns at the Coroner’s Court, Colombo, for one year from 1st January 2006. The investigating police officer and close relations/ friends who attended the inquest held by an Inquirer into Sudden Deaths (ISD) were interviewed. There were 151 suicides – 93 men (62%) and 58 women (38%). 51 (34%) suicides were due to SI. Age and sex of the victims are shown in Table 1. The female to male ratio was 3.3:1. A study on suicide by self immolation