Psychiatric Disorders (Axis I and Axis II) and Self‐Immolation: A Case–Control Study from Iran*

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate preexisting psychiatric disorders in self-immolation patients. In a case-control study, 30 consecutive cases of deliberate self-inflicted burns, admitted to the regional burn center, were compared with 30 controls. Mental disorders were assessed via detailed clinical interview. Descriptive data revealed that 67% of self-immolation patients had adjustment disorder (all female), 10% drug and alcohol abuse/dependence (all male), 7% dysthymia, 3% major depression, 3% anorexia nervosa, 3% primary insomnia, 7% borderline personality disorder (50% male), 7% depressive personality disorder (100% female), and 3% antisocial personality disorder. In bivariate comparisons, adjustment disorders emerged as related to risk of self-immolation (odds ratio = 13.00). This study suggests that adjustment disorder is a risk factor for self-immolation. As a result, it has been suggested that increasing education about problem-solving approaches, and coping skills for females and at-risk groups are appropriate prevention programs and strategies in Iranian communities.

A case-control study of psychosocial risk and protective factors of self-immolation in Iran

“…According to the diathesis-stress model, women with these characteristics are more prone to have a diathesis for suicidal acts that may be provoked or activated in the face of stressful life situations. Of these risk factors, adjustment disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions that predispose individuals to self-immolation in Iran [3,12,41,48]. Our findings also reveal that self-immolation was associated with adjustment disorder, opium dependence, major depression, and a history of suicide attempts.…”

“…While the male to female ration in self-immolation is higher in developed countries [17], in Eastern Mediterranean countries such as Iran, Afghanestan, India, Sir Lanka share self-immolation is highly prevalent among young adults [3,[18][19][20], women [21,17,22,23], and population that experience economic adversity and poverty and low education [16,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

The self-inflicted burns-Typology and its prognostic relevance in a 14-year review of self-inflicted burns in a tertiary referral centre

“…Although accounts of culturally approved ritualistic selfimmolation go back as far as the 1st century BC in ancient Greece [1], suicide by self-burning is still one of the most perplexing human acts [2][3][4]. This method of suicide is reported most frequently in developing nations, being rather rare in developed countries [3].…”

“…This method of suicide is reported most frequently in developing nations, being rather rare in developed countries [3]. In fact, in developing countries, like Iran, India, and Sri Lanka, it represents as many as 27% of all suicide attempts [2,5,6].…”

“…To make matters even worse, it has been clearly shown that intentional burn patients have a larger mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned, a longer hospital stay, and a higher mortality compared to other burned patients [17]. In some series, mortality in these patients reaches an astounding 80% [3,18].…”