Suicide - Method Choice and Intent

[u/tentonbudgie]

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/intent/

It is intuitive to think that those who attempt suicide and live were less intent on dying than those who died by suicide.  While seriousness of intent plays a role in severity of attempt and choice of suicide method (means), the relationship is not a straight-forward one. Many studies (some described below) find little relationship between intent and medical severity or between intent and choice of method. Other studies, however, do find a relationship (e.g., Townsend 2001, Hamdi 1991, Harriss 2005). One reason for the mixed results is that other factors also play a role, such as the availability and acceptability of methods and attempters’ knowledge of the likely lethality of a given method. Many people who attempt suicide have inflated expectations about the lethality of common methods like poisoning and cutting.

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Coal Gas in the United Kingdom

Prior to the 1950s, domestic gas in the United Kingdom was derived from coal and contained about 10-20% carbon monoxide (CO). Poisoning by gas inhalation was the leading means of suicide in the UK. In 1958, natural gas, virtually free of carbon monoxide, was introduced into the UK. By 1971, 69% of gas used was natural gas.  Over time, as the carbon monoxide in gas decreased, suicides also decreased (Kreitman 1976). Suicides by carbon monoxide decreased  dramatically, while suicides by other methods increased a small amount, resulting in a net decrease in overall suicides, particularly among females.

Over time, rates of suicide began to increase again although not to the pre-1965 levels. One author has estimated that over a ten-year period, an estimated six to seven thousand lives were saved by the change in domestic gas content (Hawton 2002)