A case-control study of tattoos in young suicide victims as a possible marker of risk

Background: The goal was to examine tattooing in suicides, as tattoos have been associated with several risk factors for suicide. Method: A chart review of a three-year sample of 134 consecutive suicides in Mobile County, Alabama, was conducted. The prevalence of tattoos was compared between young (<30) white suicides and accidental deaths matched for age, gender and race, in a case-control study. Results: Tattoos were found in 21% of suicides. Fifty-seven percent of young white suicides were tattooed compared to 29% of matched accidental deaths. Limitations: Findings are preliminary due to the small sample size. The study methodology precluded obtaining information of psychiatric diagnoses prior to death. Conclusions: Tattoos may be possible markers for lethality from both suicide and accidental death in young people, presumably because of shared risk factors such as substance abuse and personality disorder. Affective disorders should receive further, more specific studies. The clinical value of inquiring about tattoos in young people at risk of suicide needs further study.