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Objectives: To estimate total and cause-specific mortality after international peacekeeping deployments among the Finnish military peacekeeping personnel in comparison to the general population of similar age and sex., Design: A register-based study of a cohort of military peacekeeping personnel in 1990-2010 followed for mortality until the end of 2013. Causes of death were obtained from the national Causes of Death Register. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for total and cause-specific mortality was calculated as the ratio of observed and expected number of deaths., Setting: Finland (peacekeeping operations in different countries in Africa, Asia and in an area of former Yugoslavia in Europe)., Participants: 14 584 men and 418 women who had participated in international military peacekeeping operations ending between 1990 and 2010., Interventions: Participation in military peacekeeping operations., Main Outcome: Total and cause-specific mortality., Results: 209 men and 3 women died after their peacekeeping service. The SMR for all-cause mortality was 0.55 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.62). For the male peacekeeping personnel, the SMR for all diseases was 0.44 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.53) and for accidental and violent deaths 0.69 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.82). The SMR for suicides was 0.71 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.92)., Conclusions: Even though military peacekeeping personnel are working in unique and often stressful conditions, their mortality after their service is lower compared with the general population. Military peacekeeping personnel appear to be a selected population group with low general mortality and no excess risk of any cause of death after peacekeeping service., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

Aircraft assisted suicides were studied in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland during 1956-2012 by means of literature search and accident case analysis. According to our study the frequency varied slightly between the studies. Overall, the new estimate of aircraft assisted suicides in the United States in a 20-yr period (1993-2012) is 0.33% (95% CI 0.21-0.49) (24/7244). In the detailed accident case analysis, it was found that in five out of the eight cases from the United States, someone knew of prior suicidal ideation before the aircraft assisted fatality. The caveats of standard medico-legal autopsy and accident investigation methods in investigation of suspected aircraft assisted suicides are discussed. It is suggested that a psychological autopsy should be performed in all such cases. Also the social context and possibilities of the prevention of aviation-related suicides were analyzed. In addition, some recent aircraft assisted suicides carried out using commercial aircraft during scheduled services and causing many casualties are discussed.

Background: Suicide mortality in Finland particularly among young people remains high, compared with other European countries. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among military conscripts in Finland., Aims: In this record-based study, we investigated characteristics of all 48 suicides among Finnish conscripts during the period 1991-2007., Methods: We collected and analyzed healthcare records during military service and medicolegal investigations (medicolegal autopsy) of suicide victims., Results: Of the 48 suicides, 36 (75%) were completed during leave days. Shooting, hanging and jumping were the most common methods used; a service gun was used in four (14%) of the 29 shooting cases. One-third of the victims had been in contact with military healthcare during the week preceding their suicide, and two-thirds during the preceding month., Conclusions: When conscripts use healthcare services, suicidal thoughts should be actively asked of those conscripts with history of any risk factors for suicidal behavior.