Deliberate Self-injury (Attempted Suicide) in Patients Admitted to Hospital in Mid-Sussex

Abstract

The incidence of deliberate self-injury without fatal outcome (‘attempted suicide’), and with consequent referral to casualty departments and wards of general hospitals, is a constant and growing concern for the medical and social professions. The situation may be described as a steady, never-ending epidemic, with no ready remedy capable of halting it. Indeed, for many hospitals all over the country the epidemic seems likely to overwhelm existing facilities for the treatment of psychiatric, and even non-psychiatric conditions.

Parasuicide in Pakistan: experience at a university hospital

“…In many countries, parasuicidal behaviour has been identified as a major public health problem and a considerable drain on resources in both primary and secondary health care ( 1 ). Reports on the epidemiology of parasuicide have mostly come from Western Europe and North America ( 1,2), and have consistently shown many similarities in the characteristics of individuals who carry out this act (3)(4)(5).…”

Depression in Young Women who have Attempted Suicide

“…Thus approximately one-third (36%, 32% and 33% in the high, intermediate and low lethality groups respectively) of each lethality group were allocated to the 'endogenous' category on the basis of the patients' questionnaire responses. This is in contrast to the lesser figures of 16% 'manic-depressive depression' (Schmidt et al, 1954), 7.1% 'endogenous and involutional depressions' (Bridges and Koller, 1966), 4% 'endogenous depression' (Edwards and Whitlock 1968), 5% 'primary affective disorder' (Burke, 1974), 10% (20% of the 49% depressed) 'endogenous depression' (Jacobson and Tribe, 1972), 10% 'affective functional psychosis' (Morgan et a]., 1475), and 1.7% 'depressive illness' (Large, 1979).…”

Attempted Suicide: An Ethological Perspective

“…The very words “attempted suicide” have been regarded as unsatisfactory by many authors, and as a result, a number of other terms have arisen. Thus, attempted suicide has been regarded as “pseudocide” (Lennard‐Jones & Asher, 1959), “parasuicide” (Kreitman et al, 1969), “acute poisoning” (Lawson & Mitchell, 1972), “deliberate self‐injury” (Jacobson & Tribe, 1972), “self injury” (Lancet, 1974), “non‐fatal deliberate self‐harm” (Morgan et al, 1975) and most recently “propetia” (Seager, 1978).…”