Empirical Criteria for the Determination of Suicide Manner of Death

• NCJ Number: 128102
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 36 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 244-256
• Author(s): D A Jobes; J O Casey; A L Berman; D G Wright
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

One hundred twenty-six suicide and accident cases were used to construct and validate a 16-item instrument to assist medicolegal officials in suicide investigations and certifications. The Empirical Criteria for Determination of Suicide (ECDS) was derived from the Operational Criteria for the Determination of Suicide (OCDS) and other items obtained from experts and the professional literature.

Abstract

The findings suggest that, in cases of suicide, there is evidence of both self-infliction and intention to die. The ECDS discriminated suicide from accidents, predicting 100 percent of the suicides and 83 percent of the accidents. 3 figures and 25 references (Author abstract modified)