ABSTRACT
Suicide is a major public health problem, accounting for 0.4 to 0.9% of all deaths. Among adolescents, suicide is the third leading cause of death. To study the risk factors and criteria related to suicide in our sample. Setting: Emergency wards of hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences during 9 months of 1997-1998. Evaluation of suicidal patients during 9 months, by questionnaire. Females were more prone to suicide. Females attempted suicide at a younger age. The women attempting suicide used drugs more commonly than men [82% and 66% respectively]. Family discord was the most common cause of suicide in both sexes, though with a significant preponderance in females. Attempted suicide because of financial and occupational problems were limited to males. The most common educational level of our suicidal population was up to the 8th grade. The findings confirm previous observations in developing countries, that social stressors like financial problems and marriage-related issues are the principal causes of suicide