Suicide attempts by agricultural chemicals.

Forty three patients (42%) used agricultural chemicals as a method of suicide over nine and a half years (from Oct. 1981 to March 1991), and most cases were reported in June (agricultural activity) and December (year's end). The highest prevalence was inpatients in their fifties (34.9%). 58.1% of these patients who committed suicide were farmers or had no fixed occupation. Main precipitating factor was difficulties in interpersonal relationships (30.9%), and the largest number of patients (25.6%) were diagnosed as having manic-depressive psychosis, depressed type.