Citation

Vartic M, Aniţan. Rom. J. Leg. Med. 2004; 12(4): 275-278.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Romanian Legal Medicine Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The number of Romanian studies on self inflicted injuries have been surprisingly small. We reviewed cases of self inflicted injuries admitted in Dej Hospital Prison over a three-years period. One hundred and fourteen valid incidents were recorded and analyzed with the purpose of determining the factors associated with self-harm in prison. The inmates admitted here come from all of the penitentiaries in the country, but especially from Transilvania. During this period were admitted 2710 inmates, comprising 114 self-harm cases. The number of self-harm incidents grew from an year to another. Most of self-harm cases (86,8%) had previous convictions, 64% were between 21 and 30 years of age, 90,35% were single. As a self-harm method, the voluntary swallowing of metallic objects comes in the first place (47,37 %), these incidents requiring an immediate surgical procedure. The education level was low, only 4 subjects being high-school graduates. More than 75% of the incidents of self-harm occurred within the first half of imprisonment period. All of the self-harm incidents occurred in incarceration rooms and were witnessed by other persons. The most frequent reasons foer self-harm were: blackmailing (53%), protesting (20%) and gaining attention (27%). © 2004 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine.

Language: romanian

Keywords

adult; human; female; male; prison; suicide attempt; Prisons; risk factor; article; major clinical study; psychological aspect; hospital admission; automutilation; Romania; Self-mutilation; swallowing