Determination of suicide in South Africa: Medical practitioner perspectives
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Authors
Burrows S.
Laflamme L.
Issue Date
2007
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Medico-legal investigation; Suicide; Surveillance article; attitude; decision making; ethnology; health care personnel; human; legal aspect; questionnaire; South Africa; statistics; suicide; Attitude; Health Personnel; Humans; Judgment; Questionnaires; South Africa; Suicide
Alternative Title
Abstract
Decisional processes underlying the determination of a suicide in the largest injury surveillance system currently available in South Africa are assessed through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 32 medical practitioners involved in the system. Focus is placed on their current work circumstances and practices, and views of operational and empirical criteria proposed by US experts. Common themes and discrepancies in opinions emerged regarding the quality of the data currently available for suicide determinations, and regarding the importance and difficulty in assessing the US-developed criteria in South Africa. A truly standard approach is unlikely without considerable changes to the medico-legal system.
Description
Citation
Archives of Suicide Research
11
3
11
3
Publisher
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
13811118