Citation

Van Heeringen C, Jannes C, Van Remoortel J. Eur. J. Psychiatry 1991; 5(3): 152-160.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Departmento de Psiquiatria de la Facultad de Medicina de Zaragoza)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The secondary prevention of attempted suicide is important because of the high rate of repetition and the substantial risk of completed suicide. This prevention is hampered by several factors such as the hererogeneity of the patient population. Delineation of subgroups of patients with specific needs might therefore contribute to the prevention of repetition and of completed suicide. In order to evaluate whether patients with violent suicide attempts form a group with such specific needs, these patients (n = 108) are compared with non-violent attempters (n = 863). Violent attempters appear to have a significant lower female to male ratio, to be significantly older and to show significantly more organic mental and major depressive disorders. No differences are found for: previous or present psychiatric treatment, previous suicide attempts and risk of repetition. It is concluded that violent suicide attempters are at higher risk of completed suicide than non-violent attempters. Management of these patients must herefore include thorough psychiatric screening, especially for major depressive disorders, and appropriate treatment.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; age; violence; female; male; aged; depression; suicide attempt; aftercare; article; major clinical study; controlled study; organic brain syndrome