Research published in this month's Psychiatric Bulletin re-examined allunnatural deaths of eight- to 18-year-olds in West Yorkshire thatoccurred during 1996 and 2002.
A panel of three consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists lookedagain at 40 deaths without suicide verdicts and identified 13 asprobable suicides. When added to the seven deaths acknowledged assuicide there was a total of 20 deaths by suicide, suggesting the numberhad been underestimated by 65 per cent.
Dr Helen Gosney, the study's author, said changing the burden of prooffrom beyond all reasonable doubt to include probable suicides would beuseful for policy makers, but could be devastating for families.
- http://pb.rcpsych.org.
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