TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Understanding suicide clusters through exploring self-harm behaviors JO - Crisis A1 - Lee, Sze Chim A1 - Rouquette, Olivier Y. A1 - Hawton, Keith A1 - Cleobury, Louise A1 - Spencer, Sarah A1 - Lloyd, Keith A1 - Gunnell, David A1 - Scourfield, Jonathan A1 - John, Ann SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: There is little information about characteristics and long-term outcomes of individuals who self-harm during a suicide cluster. Aims: To compare characteristics of individuals who self-harmed during a suicide cluster in South Wales (∼10 deaths between December 2007 and March 2008) with others who self-harmed prior to the cluster and to evaluate 10-year self-harm and mortality outcomes.

METHOD: Using records from the hospital serving the catchment area of the suicide cluster, enhanced by national routinely collected linked data, we created the following two groups: individuals who self-harmed (a) during the suicide cluster and (b) 1 year before. We compared individuals' characteristics and performed logistic regression to compute odds ratios of 10-year self-harm and mortality outcomes.

RESULTS: Individuals who self-harmed during the cluster were less likely to be hospitalized or have a mental health history than those who self-harmed prior to the cluster. No significant group differences were found for 10-year self-harm outcomes, but all-cause mortality was higher for males. Limitations: Sample size was small, and data were lacking on psychological and social proximity to individuals who died during the suicide cluster.

CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of long-term healthcare follow-up of those who self-harm during a suicide cluster, particularly males.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0227-5910 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000930 ID - ref1 ER -