Suicides among military conscripts between 1991-2007 in Finland--a descriptive replication study.

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.