ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РЕГІОНАЛЬНОГО РОЗПОДІЛУ ВИПАДКІВ МЕХАНІЧНОЇ АСФІКСІЇ ВНАСЛІДОК ПОВІШЕННЯ В УКРАЇНІ

The annual number of people who died due to suicide exceeds 720,000 people and ranks third among the leading causes of death of people aged 15-29 years, while, according to WHO data, Ukraine ranks among the second ten leaders among countries in the suicide rating. Objective. Study of the geographical distribution of the frequency of cases of mechanical asphyxia by hanging in different regions of Ukraine. Methods. In the course of the research, an analysis of the number of cases of death due to mechanical asphyxiation by hanging in different regions of Ukraine based on the study of the annual reports of forensic medical examination institutions in Ukraine, was carried out. Results. In the course of the study, data were obtained that indicated certain regularities in the number of cases of death from mechanical asphyxiation due to hanging, depending on the geographical distribution in regions. The lowest rates of hanging deaths per 100,000 population were determined in the western regions of our country, as well as in the city of Kyiv. On the other hand, in the north-eastern, as well as part of the southern and central regions, there was a significant excess of the indicated indicator in comparison with the average value. Conclusion. In the course of the conducted research, the peculiarities of the regional distribution of cases of mechanical asphyxia due to per 100,000 population were studied. The presence of certain regularities in the number of cases of death from mechanical asphyxiation due to hanging, depending on the geographical distribution in individual regions, was established. Rural regions with economic difficulties, such as Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kherson, have higher suicide rates, likely due to low incomes and high unemployment, which exacerbate social stress. However, the reasons for the unevenness of hanging cases in different regions require further study and may include not only such factors as the level of employment, quality of life and social well-being of the population, but also labor migration processes, cultural and religious beliefs, etc.