Stressful Life Events in Impulsive and Non-impulsive Suicide Attempters: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Suicide is a significant public health issue, yet it can be avoided with prompt, evidence-based, and frequently inexpensive interventions. There are distinctions between the profiles of impulsive suicide attempters (ISA) and non-impulsive suicide attempters (NISA), and a significant number of suicide attempts are impulsive. A thorough multisectoral suicide prevention strategy is necessary for an effective national response. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare center in Karnataka. Sixty inpatients above the age of 18 years with an alleged history of suicide attempts were enrolled in the study. Their stressful life events in the past year were assessed using the Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES). Impulsive and non-impulsive attempters were considered based on the time gap between the suicidal ideation and the suicidal attempt with the presence or absence of plans regarding the act. They were compared using appropriate inferential statistical tests. Results: The majority of the suicide attempts were impulsive (63.3%). The ISA and NISA did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics except for age and family type, with impulsive attempters being more common at younger ages than the non-impulsive attempters ( p = .02). The majority of ISA were from joint families (44.7%), while 72.7% of NISA were from nuclear households ( p = .04). Compared to ISA, NISA recollected a higher number of stressors. Conclusion: The ISA and NISA differ in aspects of age, family type, and stressors. Characteristic distinctions between ISA and NISA should be recognized and understood in order to design policies for suicide prevention and minimize morbidity and mortality. Exploring and addressing the stressors and helping patients to overcome them through better coping skills helps in suicide prevention.