Peculiarities of the Phenotype Signs in Suiciders
Authors: Chadiuk Valeriia , Kozan Nataliia 
Published: May 2023

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of phenotypic characteristics of persons prone to suicidal actions. Analysis of the number of suicides, factors and conditions of their occurrence is difficult and subjective, as it is associated with insufficient information about the causes of suicides.

In this regard, the search for markers that allow identifying persons prone to suicidal states, in order to carry out preventive measures with him in order to prevent cases of suicide, becomes particularly relevant.

The aim of to determine the complex of anthroposcopic and dermatoglyphic parameters of fingers and toes, which make up the dermatoglyphic constitution of persons who committed suicide.

Materials and methods of the study. 2 groups of people were studied: 1 group – corpses of people who committed suicide (100 people: 50 men and 50 women); Group 2 - individuals of the control group who died as a result of an accident (100 people: 50 men, 50 women). Research methods: anthroposcopic, dermatoglyphic, statistical analysis.

Results of the study. After studying and processing the questionnaire data, which contained information about descriptive characteristics, we obtained the following indicators, which slightly differed in gender groups, therefore, they are presented in aggregates without division by gender.

Skin color, taking into account the fact that all studied groups belong to Caucasians, ranged from light shades. The group of suicide victims was dominated by people with white (54.6%) and yellow skin tones (38.6%). However, a relatively higher percentage (38.6%) of people with a yellow skin tone occurred among the suicide victims in the control group. among suicide victims, persons with straight black (39.5%) and dark blond (27.9%) hair predominate, and relatively few persons with brown hair (4.7%). In comparison with the control group, the specified ratio is preserved. It was found that in the group of suicides, compared to the control group, there were more people with triangular (11.6%), rectangular (13.9%) and round (25.6%) face shapes. However, within the group of suicides, individuals with an oval-elongated face predominated (48.9%). The facial features of suicide victims were mostly average (79.1%), the forehead height was average (53.5%) or high (44.2%), the forehead slope was vertical (30.9%) or tilted back (66.7 %), the forehead was wide (51.2%), the frontal ridges were moderately expressed (46.5%); the lower jaw did not protrude forward (90.7%), the lips were mostly narrow (61.4%), and the nose was wide (88.6%). As for the color of the eyes, among the suicide victims there was a predominance of persons with blue (34.0%) and light (28.3%) and dark (18.9%) brown eyes. Compared to the control group, blue-eyed people were more common, and persons with checkered-green and mixed eye color were less common. In 93.2% of cases, the incision of the eyes of suicide victims is almond-shaped. The study of the obtained dermatoglyphic parameters of the fingers showed that in persons prone to suicidal actions, the frequency of occurrence of an arc-type pattern (A) on the distal phalanges of the II and IV fingers of both hands was 10.1% (control group - 5.1%), the pattern type radial loop (Lr) on the right hand was 15.2% (control group 30%). On the distal phalanges of the toes of suicide victims, type A patterns predominated (30.2% vs. 15.05 in the control group), a high frequency of curls (W) on the II toes of both feet (25% of cases on the right and 32.3% of cases on the left).

   Conclusions. In the course of the study, the presence of phenotypic (anthroposcopic and dermatoglyphic) signs characteristic of suicides was established.

   Keywords: forensic medicine, suicide, dermatoglyphics.