Persett PS, et al. - Researchers aimed at describing demographic, psychiatric and somatic health in patients admitted to somatic hospitals in Norway after suicide attempt by violent methods compared with suicide attempters using deliberate self-poisoning (DSP). Compared to patients with DSP, patients with violent methods had more often psychosis, less anxiety disorders and affective disorders. The groups were not significantly different in terms of psychiatric treatment before the attempt and previous suicide attempt. Nearly half of the patients in both groups were in psychiatric treatment at the time of the suicide attempt.

Methods

• From December 2010 to April 2015, researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of patients admitted to somatic hospital after suicide attempt aged > 18 years.
• They collected data regarding demographics (gender, age, marital and living condition, educational and employment status), previous somatic and psychological health.
• A comparison was performed of patients who had used violent methods with patients admitted after suicide attempt by DSP.

Results

• Eighty patients with violent methods and 81 patients with DSP (mean age both groups 42 yrs.) were included.
• Cutting (34%), jumping from heights (32%), hanging (14%), others (10%), shooting (7%) and drowning (4%) were the violent methods used.
• Patients with violent methods, compared to patients admitted with DSP, had more often psychosis (14% vs 4%, p < 0.05), less anxiety disorders (4% vs 19%, p < 0.01) and less affective disorders (21% vs 36%, p < 0.05).
• No significant differences were evident between the numbers of patients who received psychiatric treatment at the time of the suicide attempt (violent 55% vs DSP 48%) or reported previous suicide attempt, 58% in patients with violent methods and 47% in DSP.
• Patients with violent methods were observed to stay longer in hospital (14.3 (mean 8.3–20.3) vs 2.3 (mean 1.6–3.1) days, p < 0.001), stay longer in intensive care unit (5 days vs 0.5 days, p < 0.001) and needed longer mechanical ventilation (1.4 vs 0.1 days, p < 0.001).