Suicide by hanging

Suicide by hanging is the act of intentionally killing oneself via suspension from an anchor-point or ligature point (e.g. an overhead beam or hook) by a ligature or by jumping from a height with a noose around the neck.

Hanging is often considered to be a simple suicide method that does not require complicated techniques. However, a study of people who attempted suicide by hanging and lived suggests that this perception needs to be challenged. It is one of the most commonly used suicide methods and has a high mortality rate; Gunnell et al. gives a figure of at least 70 percent. The materials required are easily available, and a wide range of ligatures can be used. Therefore, it is considered a difficult method to prevent. In the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, suicides by hanging are classified under the code X70: "Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation."

Hanging is divided into suspension hanging and the much rarer drop hanging; this method can kill in various ways. Suicide attempters who survive, because the cord or ligature point breaks, or because they are discovered and cut down can face a range of serious injuries, including cerebral anoxia (which can lead to permanent brain damage), laryngeal fracture, cervical spine fracture, tracheal fracture, pharyngeal laceration, and carotid artery injury. Ron M. Brown writes that hanging has a "fairly imperspicuous and complicated symbolic history". There are commentaries on hanging in antiquity, and it has various cultural interpretations. Throughout history, numerous famous people have committed suicide by hanging.

According to Anton J. L. van Hooff, hanging was the most common suicide method in primitive and pre-industrial societies. A 2008 review of 56 countries based on World Health Organization mortality data found that hanging was the most common method in most of the countries, accounting for 53 percent of the male suicides and 39 percent of the female suicides. In England and Wales, hanging is the most commonly used method, and is particularly prevalent in the group of males aged 15–44, comprising almost half of the suicides in the group. It is the second most common method among women, behind poisoning. In 1981 hanging accounted for 23.5 percent of male suicides, and by 2001 the figure had risen to 44.2 percent. The proportion of hangings as suicides in 2005 among women aged 15–34 was 47.2 percent, having risen from 5.7 percent in 1968. In the United States it is the second most common method, behind firearms, and is by far the most common method for those in psychiatric wards and hospitals. Hanging accounts for a greater percentage of suicides among younger Americans than among older ones. Differences exist among ethnic groups; research suggests that hanging is the most common method among Chinese and Japanese Americans. Hanging is also a frequently used method for those in custody, in several countries.

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