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According to the official statistics of the Registrar General, the first railway suicide occurred in 1852 and more than 10,000 suicides recorded during the period 1852-1949. Throughout this time the number of male cases always exceeded the number of female cases and the railway accounted for a greater proportion of male than female suicides in all but two years. By the early decades of the twentieth century, the railway was used in 5-6% of male suicides and 3-4% of female suicides. The incidence of railway suicide was correlated with the growth of the railway system offering some evidence for the relationship between availability of a lethal means and suicide rates.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Soc Sci Med

Publication Date

02/1994

Volume

38

Pages

401 - 407

Keywords

Adult, Aged, Cause of Death, Cross-Sectional Studies, England, Female, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Railroads, Suicide, Wales