Citation

Xu Z, Yang J, Zhang Q, Yip PSF. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00127-021-02074-0

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

PURPOSE: The risk of death from suicide after self-poisoning has been known to be significantly higher as compared to the general population. Nevertheless, the change in suicide risk before and after self-poisoning is still unclear.

METHODS: The database of territory-wide medical records collected by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong was used to identify inpatients who have survived the first-ever self-poisoning but died by suicide between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2010. A self-controlled case series ("SCCS") design controlling for time-invariant patient confounders was used to explore the temporal change in suicide risk after the first self-poisoning episode.

RESULTS: During the study period, 227 people in the database died from suicide after surviving one episode of self-poisoning. A significant increase of the risk of suicide in the first 12 months after the first lifetime self-poisoning-Risk Ratio ("RR") 2.88 (95% CI 1.74-4.76)-was detected. The RR gradually returned to baseline levels after the second post-poisoning period.

CONCLUSION: By within-person comparison, the net increase of the suicide risk caused by the first self-poisoning was quantitatively modeled, demonstrating that the first lifetime self-poisoning event itself is a modifiable risk factor of subsequent suicide death.

Language: en

Keywords

Self-harm; Net change in risk of suicide; Poison-purchasing restrictions; Secondary suicide prevention; Self-controlled case series analysis; Self-poisoning