This nationwide cross-sectional study of the lifetime prevalence and determinants of suicide attempts includes 90% of Greenlandic forensic psychiatric patients. Retrospective data were collected from electronic patient files, court documents, and forensic psychiatric assessments using a coding form from a similar study. We used unpaired t-tests and chi 2 or Fisher’s exact test. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts was 36% (n = 32), and no difference in prevalence was found between male and female patients (p = 0.95). Patients having attempted suicide had a higher rate of physical abuse in childhood (p = 0.04), family history of substance misuse (p = 0.007), and criminal convictions among family members (p = 0.03) than patients who had never attempted suicide. Women primarily used self-poisoning in their latest suicide attempts (67%), whereas men more often used sharp objects or a firearm (42%). Over a third of Greenlandic forensic patients have attempted suicide at some point in their life, and patients with traumatic childhood experiences are at higher risk of suicidal behaviour. It is not possible to conclude whether the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among Greenlandic forensic patients is comparable to that of other high-risk groups in other Arctic regions due to methodological differences among the very few other comparable studies.
IntroductionGreenland and the Canadian territory of Nunavut appear to have a different prevalence of forensic psychiatric patients, despite their comparable population and landmass sizes. Both are mainly inhabited by Inuit with a similar cultural and social background. Both have a universal health care system. They differ, however, concerning the supply of mental health services and legislation concerning forensic psychiatric patients.ObjectivesTo compare the prevalence and clinical characteristics of forensic psychiatric patients in Greenland and Nunavut.MethodsData is obtained from health records, forensic psychiatric evaluations and court acts from all forensic psychiatric patients 18 years or older living in Greenland or admitted to the University Hospital Aarhus (N≈100). Data extracted from Nunavut Review Board hospital reports will be used to describe the patient population from Nunavut (N≈15). Patient characteristics include gender, age, marital status, education, diagnosis of mental illness, medical treatment, family history of mental illness and serious adverse childhood experiences. Public documents concerning health systems and legislation will be identified through literature search.ResultsPatient characteristics from the two patient populations, as well as visualizations of the differences and similarities between the respective health care and legislative systems will be presented at the conference.ConclusionsThis study provides a comprehensive clinical, socio-demographic and forensic comparison of the forensic psychiatric populations in Greenland and Nunavut, Canada. To our knowledge, it will be the first to describe and compare forensic psychiatric populations in the Arctic.
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