A comparison of self‐injury and self‐poisoning from the Regional Poisoning Treatment Centre, Edinburgh

Abstract

Injury and poisoning episodes at the Regional Poisoning Treatment Centre, Edinburgh, were compared for the years 1980-1986. Injury was more likely to be associated with youth, male sex and single status. When these demographic differences were controlled for, injury was found to be associated with the following clinical variables: personality disorder, previous psychiatric inpatient status, use of alcohol at the time of parasuicide and alcohol problems, and the social variables-violence against others and received from relatives in the preceding 5 years, criminal record and unemployment. These have been consistently associated with repetition of parasuicide. A history of injury as a putative marker of repetition and the clinical implication of its association with alcohol problems are discussed.

The cost of treatment of deliberate self-harm.

“…This is a conservative estimate of the hospital bill. Cost of treatment of self-harm 13 DISCUSSION Our local problem of deliberate self-poisoning, which represented the overwhelming majority of DSH (97%) seems on age, sex and demographic data and overdose characteristics comparable to those reported by other units (Adams, 1986;Robinson & Duffy, 1989).…”

“…He suggested that among others, outcome measures for management and preventative strategies for DSH should include number of A&E attendances/year and number of repeat episodes per patient. This seems appropriate because DSH is a repetitive phenomenon (Adams, 1986;Owens & Jones, 1986;Robinson & Duffy, 1989;Cameron et al, 1990) and a past history of DSH increases probability of completed suicide (Hawton & Fagg, 1988), the risk rising steadily with each previous attempt (Leon et al, 1990).…”

“…Correspondence: H. M. Yeo, Sentior Registrar, AccideItt anid Emergenicy Department, Royal Hallaniishlire Hospital, Slieffield S10 21F Cost of treatment of self-harm 9 PATIENTS AND METHODS We adopted the definition of Robinson & Duffy (1989) who defined parasuicide as a 'self-initiated and deliberate act in which the patient was injured by laceration, jumping, hanging or shooting, or was poisoned by therapeutic drugs, illegal drugs, solvent, noningestants or carbon monoxide'.…”

Repeat deliberate self-harm: a link with childhood sexual abuse?

“…It was also found that survivors of abuse were more likely to have taken overdoses in the past and were significantly more likely to be 'self-injurers' as evidenced by the number DSH and childhood sexual abuse 165 of patients who had attempted to cut their wrists. The excess prevalence of these known risk factors (Platt, 1986;Hawton & Fagg, 1988;Robinson & Duffy, 1989;Arnold et al, 1990) for DSH in this group may explain why survivors of abuse are 4.2 times more likely than non-abused patients to repeat DSH within 6 months.…”

“…DSH is a major health problem which accounts for a large number of A&E attendances each year. Risk factors for DSH have been studied extensively and the repetitiveness of the phenomenon is widely recognized (Adams, 1986;Robinson & Duffy, 1989). The reports cited above (Shearer & Herbert, 1987;Mullen et al, 1988;Rew, 1989;Riggs et al, 1990) prompted the examination of the relationship between repeat DSH and a history of sexual abuse.…”