Citation

Kolesnikov D, Epifanova N. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 136-137.

Affiliation

Research Institute of Emergency Medical Aid named after N.V. Sklifosovsky, B.Suharevskaya square 3, building 7, 129010 Moscow, Russia. Dkolesnikov@mtu-net.ru.

Copyright

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

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964119

Abstract

The rate of suicide attempts in Russia has significantly increased in the last years. In last 15 years 800 thousand people committed suicide. In order to study the development of a state when auto aggressive behaviours can occur, the suicide attempts undertaken during psychomotor agitation were examined. Methods and materials: 175 patients (120 men, 55 women) in the age 18-60 y.o. who inflicted penetrating abdominal wounds on themselves (excluding those with demonstrative and manipulative motives) were clinically examined. In 55 cases (31,4%) there were multiple abdomen wounds, in 65 (37,1%) abdomen wounds were combined with thoracic, in 44 (25,1%) - with wounds of the extremities, in 11 (6,3%) - with neck wounds. The psychiatric pathology was represented by depression (52 cases - 29,7%), schizophrenia (49 cases - 28%), personality disorders (51 cases - 29,1%), alcoholic psychosis (23 cases - 13,1%). Results: It was found that, though the motives were different, in the moment of the suicide attempt all patient experienced psychomotor agitation with the wish to kill themselves, characterized as a monothematic compultion that seized consciousness up to the loss of perception. The patients mechanically caused multiple wounds to themselves without feeling pain. The severity of the wounds correlated with the intensity of the mental changes in the moment of the suicide attempt. Conclusions: Psychomotor agitation with changes of consciousness and with a compulsive idea to wound themselves to death proves the verity of suicide plans and the severity of auto aggressive activity. Psychomotor agitation is the dominant symptom in self-mutilation.

Language: en