SUICIDE IN KERRY - A COMPARISON OF THE OFFICIAL AND A CLINICALLY BASED RATE

The suicide rate for county Kerry in 1988 was determined by clinical m eans using postmortem records as a starting point. Sixteen deaths due to suicide were thus identified (eight males and eight females). The o fficial figure for the year is 19 (13 males and six females). Four of the clinically determined suicides did not appear in the official figu res. Combining information from both sources gives a figure of 23 suic ide deaths, a rate of 18.58 per 100,000. The authors conclude that the re are continuing deficiencies in suicide recording practices.