Psychiatric Morbidity of Attempted Suicide Patients Admitted To A General Hospital In Rural Area Of South India

Abstract

Background: The number of suicides in India during the last decade has recorded an increase of 25.0%. Suicide attempt rates are found to be higher than rates for completed suicides. This study is aimed to evaluate the sociodemographic profile and psychiatric morbidity in attempted suicide patients. Material and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in Dr. PSIMS & RF hospital, a general hospital, in rural region of Krishna district, South India. 150 consecutive cases of attempted suicide were recruited for the study. Structured proforma containing sociodemographic variables and suicide attempt data was administered. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. Plus) was applied to assess the psychiatric disorder and the diagnosis was confirmed using ICD 10. Results: Majority of the suicide attempters were <30 years of age (67%), men (62%), education below or up to 7 th std.(69%), married (57%), low socioeconomic status (62%) and employed (61%), used oral agents (97%) and made an impulsive attempt (72%). Domestic quarrel (48%) and relationship issues (23%) were the major reasons for attempt. 59% suffered from a psychiatric disorder and major depressive episode (28%) was found to be most common diagnosed disorders. Conclusion: The presence of psychiatric morbidity was observed to confer a considerable risk of suicide. Keywords - attempted suicide, psychiatric morbidity