@article{ref1,
title="Can early follow-up after deliberate self-harm reduce repetition? A prospective study of 325 patients",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2014",
author="Bilén, Katarina and Pettersson, Hans and Owe-Larsson, Björn and Ekdahl, Karin and Ottosson, Carin and Castrén, Maaret and Ponzer, Sari",
volume="152-154",
number="",
pages="320-325",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Patients who deliberately harm themselves often repeat their self-destructive acts. The objective of this study was to assess whether a follow-up visit within 10 days to a psychiatric consultant could reduce the frequency of repeated deliberate self-harm (DSH). METHODS: A cohort of 325 consecutive DSH patients attending two large emergency departments in Stockholm, Sweden, were included and followed for 6 months. Any visit to a psychiatric consultant within 10 days was registered as an early follow-up. Repeated DSH episode within 6 months among the 325 patients was detected via nationwide registers. Main outcome measure: Repeated DSH within 6 months. RESULTS: At 6 months follow-up 22 (24%) of 92 patients with an early follow-up had repeated their DSH acts compared to 58 (25%) of 233 patients without an early follow-up (OR 1.06 (95% CI: 0.60-1.85) p-value 0.85). After adjustment for possible confounders, multivariable analysis showed an OR of 1.22 (95% CI: 0.62-2.38, p-value 0.56). LIMITATIONS: Early follow-up was registered as any visit to a psychiatric consultant and no information regarding actions taken at the visit were obtained. CONCLUSION: After adjusting for other factors associated with repetition there was an association of patients who were offered and thereafter attended an early follow-up visit and a decreased risk of repeated DSH.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2013.09.032",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.09.032"
}