A hospital-based cross-sectional study on suicidal poisoning in Western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Background and Aims: Poisoning is most common method of committing suicide in India. Objectives of this study to assess prevalence of suicidal poisoning among all poisoning cases, its socio-demographic profile and its reasons in all admitted cases of suicidal poisoning in hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on cases of poisoning of any age group admitted in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut. Poisoning cases with history or evidence of suicide were further interviewed. A semi-structured interview schedule in Hindi was used to collect data. Microsoft Excel 365 and R software version 3.6.0 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Results: Among total 135 poisoning cases admitted in hospital, 126 provided consent and included in the study. Prevalence of suicidal poisoning was 77.7% (98). Most common age group involved was 11-20 years (36.7%) and 21-30 years (35.7%) and most of the participants were males (59.2%). Most suicidal poisoning cases took Aluminum Phosphide (31.6%), followed by Organophosphates (20.4%) as poison. Most frequent reasons for suicide as described by participants were ’Family quarrel or family unhappiness’ (29.6%), ’failure in examination or interview or business’ (23.5%), ’ill treatment by spouse or in laws’ (16.3%) and ’unemployment’ (9.2%). Conclusion: Our study shows that consuming Agriculture poisons (Aluminum Phosphide and Organophosphates) are most common (52%) poisons consumed by suicidal poisoning cases. Agriculture poisons (Aluminum Phosphide and Organophosphates) are easily available in markets in India. There should be some restriction on their purchase to reduce suicidal incidences.

Choice of poisoning agent and self-reported reasons for attempted suicide - A retrospective study

“…24 Studies highlight the prevalence of herbicides, insecticides, and rat poison among suicide attempters, particularly in rural agricultural areas. 18,22,25 In our study, herbicides (52%) were the agents most commonly used, followed by insecticides (24%), and rat poison (9%). Other agents used were fungicides (4%), petroleum (3%), bleaching powder (2%), gammaxene (1%), household disinfectants (1%), unknown poison (3%) and drug overdose (2%).…”

“…Research identified a myriad of psychosocial stressors contributing to suicidal ideation, including familial conflicts, marital discord, financial difficulties, and unemployment. 18,22,28 These findings underscore the complex interplay between individual vulnerabilities and external stressors in shaping suicidal behaviour. The stigma surrounding mental health issues and limited access to mental health services may exacerbate the risk of suicide among vulnerable populations.…”

“…A similar trend of sociodemographics was reported by Kumar RS et al and Patel NS et al in their studies on attempted suicide in rural India. 18,22 Low socioeconomic status was observed to increase the likelihood of suicide/attempted suicide in Asia. 23 Poisoning remains one of the most common methods of suicide globally, with a diverse range of substances utilized for this purpose.…”

“…Consistent with other studies in India, more than half of the subjects (53%) in the current study reported family quarrels as the immediate precipitant for attempting suicide. 18,26,27 Other self-reported reasons were marital discord (20%), unemployment (10%), financial problems (6%), relationship issues (3%), and physical illness (2%). Research identified a myriad of psychosocial stressors contributing to suicidal ideation, including familial conflicts, marital discord, financial difficulties, and unemployment.…”

Clinico-Epidemiological Profile and Short-Term Outcomes of Patients with Acute Poisoning Presenting to an Emergency of a Tertiary Care Center in Western Rajasthan

“…This can be attributed to increased work stress, family issues, financial strain, and other life-settling issues in this age group. In a study by Patel et al ,[ 16 ] 59.2% of patients with poisoning were male. Similarly, in our study of 236 participants, 143 (60.5%) were males.…”