Subject characteristics
| Characteristics | Group; no. of subjects (and %)*† | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Control subjects (n = 19) | Completed suicide, no MD (n = 23) | Completed suicide, with MD (n = 16) | |
| Mean age, yr‡ | 36.7 (11.5) | 34.8 (10.4) | 33.9 (11.0) |
| Postmortem interval, hr§ | 24.0 (6.2) | 26.6 (9.7) | 24.8 (6.1) |
| Brain tissue pH¶ | 6.4 (0.3) | 6.3 (0.3) | 6.5 (0.4) |
| Causes of death | |||
| Cardiac related | 11 (57.9) | — | — |
| Hanging | — | 12 (52.2) | 11 (68.8) |
| Car accident | 5 (26.3) | — | — |
| CO poisoning | — | 5 (21.7) | 2 (12.5) |
| Drug overdose | 2 (10.5) | 2 (8.7) | 1 (6.3) |
| Respiratory failure | 1 (5.3) | — | — |
| Drowning | — | 1 (4.3) | 1(6.3) |
| Cutting | 1 (4.3) | — | — |
| Firearm | — | 1 (4.3) | 1(6.3) |
| Present axis I diagnosis** | 5 (35.7) | 10 (76.9) | 16 (100) |
| Major depression | — | — | 16 (100) |
| Substance misuse | 4 (28.6) | 7 (53.8) | 10 (62.5) |
| Past axis I diagnosis†† | 6 (42.9) | 10 (76.9) | 14 (87.5) |
| Major depression | 3 (15.8) | — | 11 (68.7) |
| Substance misuse | 5(35.7) | 8 (61.5) | 10 (62.5) |
| Axis II diagnosis | — | 7(53.8) | 6 (37.5) |
↵* Unless otherwise indicated.
↵† Percentages are given according to the number of subjects for whom the data were available.
↵‡ p = 0.74.
↵§ p = 0.57.
↵¶ p = 0.42.
** Diagnosis of at least 1 axis I disorder within the 6 mo before death.
↵†† Diagnosis of at least 1 axis I disorder in the past, excluding the 6 mo before death.