Abstract
Objective: Over the past decade, and despite the increasing awareness of suicide attempts among adults in Morocco, there was no complete system of statistics. As a result, the socio-demographic profile of reported adult suicide attempts varied in some studies. The purpose of this study was to provide the socio-demographic and clinical profile of suicide attempts in adults in a Moroccan hospital.Methods: A retrospective study of a descriptive type carried out in Psychiatric University Hospital Arrazi-Salé during one and a half year (January 2016 to April 2017). The information was collected using a pre-established questionnaire based on medical records. The data entry and statistical evaluation were performed by the SPSS software (20.0).Results: A total of 62 patients were recruited, 32 women and 30 men who met the eligibility criteria. The profile of the suicidal attempters who must be kept in the hospital to prevent a suicidal recidivism is a young adult between the ages of 25 and 40, male, with psychiatric disorder: mood disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic or psychopathic personality, alcohol or other psychoactive substance dependence, familial and emotional connectedness, material deprivation with previous suicide attempt that demonstrates the possibility of acting out because as we known that the risk of recidivism increases with the number of previous attempts.Conclusion: The development of repeated epidemiological surveys makes it possible to better understand the prevalence of suicide attempts in Morocco and to implement suicide prevention programs.
Highlights
Suicide attempts are emergencies often encountered in general and psychiatric hospitals and they are clearly increasing and they constitute a public health problem in Morocco
The study concerned 625 patients who consulted during this period in the urgency of the hospital; among these patients, a total of 62 patients who had been hospitalized for attempted suicide were recruited (32 women and 30 men)
Married subjects in our sample were the least affected category (15%)this may indicate that in Morocco, marriage may be able to serve as a protective factor against suicidal behavior in accordance with the findings of Lorant et al [14]Another factor studied in our work is the unemployment which is high.58% of suicide attempters were professionally inactive; the protective effect of employment cannot be applied to the general population because studies indicate that in case of work, there is a high level of job stress [15].In our study, the educational level of suicidal patients was low (58% were out of school or had a primary level)
Summary
Several previous studies in psychiatric emergency departments have suggested a common sociodemographic and clinical profile of suicide attempters. They were more likely to live alone, unemployed, with a higher suicidality and poor physical health, higher rates of treatment, with more mental illnesses including emotional and psychotic illnesses or substance use disorders [7]. To better characterize suicide attempters hospitalized in the emergency department of the University Psychiatric Hospital Arrazi-Salé, our study aimed to examine simultaneously the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The information was collected using a pre-established questionnaire based on medical records It is a 28 items hetero questionnaire which was developed taking into account literature data on suicide risk factors. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed by SPSS software (Version 13.0)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
