Citation

Iancu I, Laufer N, Dannon PN, Zohar-Kadouch R, Apter A, Zohar J. Isr. J. Psychiatry Relat. Sci. 1997; 34(3): 228-234.

Affiliation

Psychiatric Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Israel Psychiatric Association, Publisher Israel Science Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9334528

Abstract

Attempted suicide in adolescence is a major health problem and recent reports indicate a dramatic increase in the frequency of attempted and completed suicide among adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of adolescent admissions with attempted suicide in a large general hospital. The files of all children and adolescents admitted due to a suicide attempt between the years 1984 and 1994 were examined retrospectively, with regard to age, sex, method of attempt, season, year and length of hospitalization. Four hundred and four admissions with attempted suicide were recorded. The majority (83.7%) were females and drug overdose was the most common (92.8%) method used. Thirty patients (7.5%) repeated the attempt during the study period. No specific time of the year was associated with an increase in adolescent suicide attempt admissions. The most remarkable finding was that younger adolescents had a higher probability of performing a violent suicide attempt. Hypotheses for these trends are examined together with possible ramifications for treatment provision.

Language: en