Citation

Veiga F, Madeira F, Saraiva C, Craveiro A, Roque M. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 153.

Affiliation

Suicide Research and Prevention Unit, Clinica Psiquiatrica - Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal. fmaveiga@sapo.pt.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964166

Abstract

Objectives: From a 15-year clinical experience involving 900 suicide attempters, our aim was to study associations between ritualization/anniversary reaction and several sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: We used a semi-structured questionnaire designed by our unit, with 77 items covering all those aspects. Two groups were compared: '1' (10%) and '0' (90%) - positive and negative for ritualization/anniversary reaction, respectively. Results: Regarding sociodemographic variables, within group 1 we found a higher proportions of urban, middle-upper social class and advanced schooling individuals. Concerning clinical variables, the following findings were more frequent within group 1: history of sexual abuse, social isolation, mood and personality disorders, bereavement, history of family or friends suicidal behaviour, previous suicide attempts, intensive care need, suicidal behaviour under alcohol effect, suicide note, suicide plan and high suicidal intent; and less frequent: impulsivity, precipitant quarrel and satisfaction for surviving. Conclusions: We present some paradigmatic cases of a relatively uncommon phenomenon in Suicidology, involving a plan with high symbolic charge where emergence of memories plays a major role, particularly those related to suicidal models in family or friends. The most common mental construct is reunion suicide, quite often under the effect of alcohol, this is closer to the concept of a journey than to self-annihilation.

Language: en