Suicide in South African Indians.

Biographical and psychiatric factors among South African Indians in Durban and the greater Durban area were investigated in 50 successive suicides so designated by a magistrate at the time of the inquest. Response to a suicide questionnaire and a symptom check-list compiled by the authors were analysed. Information was elicited from the families, relatives and friends of the deceased, or people who had known or treated or had some contact with the deceased. Major depression and alcohol abuse were noted in the vast majority of cases studied. Hanging was the most common method of suicide, closely followed by ingestion of toxic substances. Culturally attributable differences were found between the present sample and those reported in the existing literature. This and other findings are presented and discussed.