Impulsive but fatal self-poisoning with pesticides among South Asians in Nickerie, Suriname.

BACKGROUND Intentional self-poisoning with pesticides is a serious problem in many developing countries. It is a commonly used method among South Asians all over the world. AIMS To describe the circumstances and characteristics of suicides in Nickerie, e, in order to gain insight into why South Asians commonly use self-poisoning. METHODS An exploratory psychological autopsy study was conducted among 19 survivors of 13 suicides in the Nickerie district in Suriname. RESULTS Impulsivity plays an important role in self-poisonings, as well as aggression and easy accessibility of pesticides. CONCLUSIONS Possible answers to the question why South Asians often use self-poisoning as a method for suicide may be found in culture, upbringing, styles of communication and genetics. However, more research is needed to further explore these hypotheses.