Ulster University

Academic Institute

Siobhan O'Neill

E018

Suicide is an important cause of preventable death, with 268 deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland in 2014. This research will examine the medicine and health service use of people who have died because of suicide in Northern Ireland between 1/1/2012 and 31/12/2015. The analysis will look at the relationship between pain medication, anti-depressant medication and suicide. The relationships between use of health services and suicide will also be considered. The health services considered in the study will include previous Emergency Department attendance, previous hospital admission, and whether or not the person was known to mental health services. To facilitate the analysis, deaths by suicide will be matched to a control group of people alive at the data of death, taken from the list of GP registrations in Northern Ireland. Although previous research has identified a range of factors associated with suicide, the literature does not consider the full range of factors considered in this study. This study will therefore contribute to our knowledge of suicide in Northern Ireland and the factors associated with suicide. This study will also highlight the usefulness of using linked datasets, which are collected routinely, to better understand suicide.

Although previous research has identified a range of factors associated with suicide, the literature does not consider the full range of factors considered in this study. This study will therefore contribute to our knowledge of suicide in Northern Ireland and the factors associated with suicide. This study will also highlight the usefulness of using linked datasets, which are collected routinely, to better understand suicide.

09/02/2017

TRE