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Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."
Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011
Dr. Shankar P.R.
"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."
Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011 Anuradha
Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.
Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020
Original article / research
Full Version
Profile of Suicidal Autopsies in a Militancy-Affected State of India
Correspondence Address :
Bhupesh Khajuria, MD, Head of the Department. Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Govt Medical College, 216-A Last Morh, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu 180004, India.
E-mails: rashmichams@yahoo.com, drrashmi@india.com
Background: Suicidal behavior is a major public health problem.
Aims: To know the socio-demographic factors affecting suicidal attempts and the modes of suicidal death.
Design: The retrospective observational study.
Setting: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department of a tertiary care hospital.
Subjects and Methods: All autopsies performed between January 2001 to December 2005 were analysed for total number of autopsies performed, allegedly suicide autopsies, mode of suicidal deaths, variation in suicidal deaths in relation to age, sex, place of residence and religion.
Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test was used to analyse the variability of suicidal deaths with age, sex, place of residence and religion. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Out of total 3485 autopsies 16.24% (566) were allegedly suicidal autopsies. 335 (59.18%) and 231 (40.82%) victims were males and females respectively (p=0.080). 223 (39.39%) and 343 (60.61%) victims were from urban and rural area respectively (p=0.030). Majority of the victims [373 (65.90%)] were between 20-40years of the age. 463 (81.80%), 64 (11.30%), 37 (3.54%) and 2(0.35%) victims were from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christian religion (p< 0.0001). Poisoning was found to be the most common mode of suicide [243 (42.93%)], followed by burns [168 (29.69%)], hanging [52 (9.18%)], railway trauma cases [23 (4.06%)] and gunshot [23 (4.06%)].
Conclusion: It is important to have awareness about trends, risk factors and methods used for committing suicide in order to make remedial measures against this preventable cause of death.
Suicidal trends, risk factors, autopsies
Introduction
Suicide is termination of one's life intentionally as a result of violence directed against self. Suicide is an indicator of the mental health and social wellbeing of society and a major cause of injury-related death in the population. Self inflicted violence accounts for around half of the 1.6 million violent deaths that occur every year worldwide and about 63% of global deaths from self harm in the Asia Pacific region.(1) Most of these deaths occur in rural areas, where easy access to highly toxic pesticides turns many impulsive acts of self poisoning into suicide (1).In India over the span of ten years (1988-1998) death due to suicide increased by 62.9% involving all age groups (2). Recording suicidal deaths in developing countries represent only the tip of the iceberg due to unreliable population counts, non reporting of deaths, variable standards in certifying deaths due to social stigma and various others religious, political and legislative reasons (3). However, it is important to have awareness about trends, risk factors and methods used for committing suicide in order to make remedial measures against this preventable cause of death. For the last two decades due to increased militancy in our state, there is increased stress and depression in the population, which could be an important cause for suicidal attempts among the population. As no study has been conducted in this region regarding the suicidal trends; hence, the present study was conducted to determine the profile of suicidal autopsies in the tertiary care institute of the state.
The present retrospective study was conducted in the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department of a tertiary care hospital to know the socio-demographic factors affecting suicidal attempts and the modes of suicidal death over a period of five years (from January 2001 to December 2005). The institution caters not only to the city population, but also satellite population from nearby villages, kashmiri migrant camps and medico-legal cases referred from adjoining rural and semi urban areas. All the reported deaths and autopsies performed in the mortuary of the institution over the past five years were analysed for the suicidal deaths. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ICD-10 classification was used to categorize the methods of suicidal death. By using the WHO international proforma of death certification, and highlighting the terminology used within the ICD-10, it tells the doctor to identify the underlying cause of death, defined as "all those diseases, morbid conditions, or injuries which either resulted in or contributed to death and the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced any such injuries" (4). The year wise data thus collected was analysed for total number of autopsies performed, allegedly suicide autopsies, mode of suicidal deaths, variation in suicidal deaths in relation to age, sex, place of residence and religion.
Total 3485 autopsies were conducted over the period of five years with 16.24% (566) allegedly suicidal autopsies. Maximum number [194 (26.86%)] of allegedly suicidal autopsies were performed during the year 2002, followed by 116 (18.23%) in year 2005 and 106 (15.51%) in year 2001 (Table/Fig 1). Out of the total allegedly suicidal autopsies 335 (59.18%) victims were male and 231 (40.82%) were female. Male predominance in suicidal deaths was observed through out the period of five years (Table/Fig 1). However, no statistically significant difference was found between two sexes (p= 0.080).
Out of the total allegedly suicidal autopsies 223 (39.39%) and 343 (60.61%) victims were from urban and rural area respectively (p= 0.30). However, during the year 2005 more allegedly suicidal autopsies were performed on the victims from urban [62 (53.45%)] than rural areas [54 (46.55%)] (Table/Fig 1). Majority of the victims [373 (65.90%)] were between 20-40years of the age. 80 (14.13%) and 113 (19.96%) allegedly suicidal autopsies were performed on victims in the age group of ≤ 19 years and > 40 years respectively. Predominance of suicidal deaths (60.30-74.52%) in the age group of 20-40 years was observed during all the five years (p <0.0001) (Table/Fig 2). Out of the total allegedly suicidal autopsies 463 (81.80%), 64 (11.30%), 37 (3.54%) and 2 (0.35%) were performed on Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christian respectively (p< 0.0001) (Table/Fig 2). Predominance of suicidal deaths in Hindu (59.79%-82.14%) religion was observed throughout the period of five years, followed by Muslims (10.60% -11.90%), Sikhs (2.57%-11.20%) and Christian (0.51%-0.86%) (Table/Fig 2). No statistically significant difference was found between males and females; however, statistically more victims belong to rural area, Hindu religion and age group between 20-40 years (Table/Fig 3).Poisoning was found to be the most common mode of suicide [243 (42.93%)], followed by burns [168 (29.69%)], hanging [52 (9.18%)],railway trauma cases [23 (4.06%)] and gunshot [23 (4.06%)]. Miscellaneous modes for suicide were used in 4.31% to 23.71% of allegedly suicidal autopsies during the year 2001-2005 (Table/Fig 4).
More than 4,00,000 people commit suicide all around the world every year (5). It is amongst the top ten causes of death for all ages in most countries of the world. Nearly one lakh Indians are dying of suicide every year, which is about 20% of the world suicide population (5). In general, males are more than four times likely to commit suicide than females (5). In our study 59.18% of the victims of suicidal death were male and 40.82% were female indicating narrow gap between male and female suicide rate in India. Majority of the victims (65.90%) were between 20-40years of the age and 60.61% from rural back ground in the present study. Similar, trends were also reported earlier from India and other countries, but with male predominance.
A 25-year autopsy study (1972-1997) of acute poisoning deaths from a tertiary care hospital in northern India revealed that majority (68%) of subjects were between the ages of 14 and 30 years and there was a male preponderance (69%) (6). In an other study from Maharashtra during the five years period, 1997-2001 acute poisoning is the leading most cause of unnatural deaths and third common cause of emergency hospitalizations in this rural part of India (7). Majority of the victims were male 67% and about 83% of them were from rural residence. Insecticides were responsible for 35% of clinical and 55.4% of fatal cases (7).
Another study from North India (1997-98) showed male to female ratio of 3:1 among poisoning cases admitted (76.47% of the victims committed suicide) with 45.59% victims between 21-30 years of the age and 51.47% from urban population (8). Similarly a study from south India reported 72% of the poisoning cases admitted between January 2001 to May 2003 as intentional with 70% males and 30% females cases showing predominance in the age group of 21-30 years (36%) (9). A study from north India reported 91.4% cases of poisoning as suicidal with majority of the patients young (mean age 27years), males (twice than females) and from rural areas (10). Similarly, studies from New- Zealand reported highest suicide rate between 25-34 years of age with higher suicide death rate in males than females (11). In US also, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for men and four times more male are likely to die from suicide than females (12).
However, a few studies reported increased trends in female suicidal attempts (2),(13),(14). A study from India (1991-1997) reported nearly equal suicide rates for young women and men as shown in our study (13). Similarly, a study from north India in adolescent population reported suicidal deaths with Female: Male ratio of 1.24:1 (2). This gender disparity may be because of occurrence of psychological disorders like depression anxiety more often in girls than boys in early adolescence with onset of puberty. Moreover, social factors like subordinate role of females in developing society can generate feeling of helplessness and frustration which contribute to psychiatric illness. Similarly, suicide is the fifth leading cause of death in China, with predominance of suicidal deaths in females (15-34 years) than males (14). Out of the total allegedly suicidal autopsies 81.80%, 11.30%, 3.54% and 0.35% were performed on Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christian respectively. The predominance of victims from Hindu religion in the present study may be because of the fact that the institution caters adjoining kashmiri migrant camps, rural and suburban areas, which are richly populated with followers of Hindu religio
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