Introduction: Until now, there has been a lack of a methodology for reporting reliable and compiled data on how many people who take their lives through jumping from bridges. It is complex to get hold of data for assessing the manner of death. Different authorities use different keywords or criteria, which makes comparisons difficult. Reliable reporting procedures of suicide deaths are of importance for suicide prevention at bridges, which can enable the identification of bridges are at risk, as well as individual characteristics which may be relevant to consider, when suicide barriers are to be built.
Method: Keywords combined with ICD codes in the National Board of Forensic Medicine's (NBFM) database RitabQL, has been used for the period 2008–2021, on the entire current documentation stored digitally in the database. Putative suicides were examined in detail by a statistician and a specialist in forensic medicine. Documents such as patient records, police memos and information from relatives were reviewed. The database contained cases which had undergone a forensic autopsy, exclusively.
Results: The search and detailed examination resulted in 236 suicide cases. A specialist in forensic medicine had excluded cases which did not meet the criteria, i.e., if it was uncertain whether the manner of death was suicide, accident or otherwise.
Among the total of 136 bridges, 25 had >1 suicides during the period 2008-2021. 75% of affected bridges were located in urban areas with a high population density. About 40% of suicides took place by jumping into water and the rest onto solid ground of various kinds. A total of 174 men (74%), 61 women (26%) and one person with unknown gender were included. The most common age group was 20–24-year-olds. 88%were shorter than 185 cm and 90% weighed less than 100 kg. Approximately 50% had a BMI between 18.5-25, which the WHO classifies as normal weight. Alcohol could be detected in 31% of the cases, and among 53%, at least one psychoactive drug and/or a drug was found. In 72% of the cases overall, either alcohol, psychoactive drugs or a drug could be detected.
Discussion: There are unknowns remaining regarding the number of suicides by jumping from bridges, since an autopsy is not always requested, autopsies may be performed in hospitals and is not included in the NBFM's database, the body was not found, or there is a lack of necessary information assessing that the manner of death. Analyzes of personal variables would need to be deepened for use in suicide prevention at bridges.
Conclusions: Data on the incidence of suicide by jumping from bridges should be improved. It is well known that suicide barriers prevent jumping from bridges. The planning and design of suicide barriers may also be improved by using facts about the suicide individuals for optimal construction and design.