Abstract
Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning is an important public health problem in Sri Lanka. Current evidence from Sri Lanka suggests that this phenomenon is more common among young people, and females, and is associated with a recent interpersonal conflict. International studies indicate that recent non-fatal selfharm is associated with an increased risk of repetition and completed suicide. Prospective follow-up data regarding rates of repetition of self-harm in Sri Lanka is limited. The aim of this study was to describe the rate of repetition, and rate of suicidal ideation, at one-year follow up among those who have survived an act of selfpoisoning. Participants who presented to the toxicology unit, Teaching Hospital Peradeniya over a 14-month period, for medical management of non-fatal self-poisoning, were contacted by telephone one-year following the initial presentation. A total of 949 persons were included in the study, of which 35.3% (n=335) were contactable at one-year follow-up. The rate of repetition of self-harm after one year was 2.5% and 2.7% of participants had suicidal ideation at one-year follow-up. The rate of repetition of self-harm in Sri Lanka is lower than the rate reported in the West (15%).
Highlights
Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning is an important public health problem in Sri Lanka
The rate of repetition of self-harm in Sri Lanka is lower than the rate reported in the West (15%)
Since the mid-1990s, hospital admissions for non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka have increased [1]
Summary
Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning is an important public health problem in Sri Lanka. International studies indicate that recent non-fatal selfharm is associated with an increased risk of repetition and completed suicide. Prospective follow-up data regarding rates of repetition of self-harm in Sri Lanka is limited. Non-fatal or attempted self-poisoning is an important public health problem in Sri Lanka with a reported rate of 321 per 100 000 hospital admissions for self-poisoning in 2007 [1]. Since the mid-1990s, hospital admissions for non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka have increased [1]. Data from international studies indicate that recent non-fatal self-harm is associated with an increased risk of repetition and completed suicide [2]. Sri Lanka has an increasing rate of non-fatal self-harm by self-poisoning, but data on repetition rates are limited [4]. The rate of previous selfharm in those who have died by suicide in Sri Lanka has been reported to be as high as 26% [7, 8]
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