SUICIDAL ATTEMPTS AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS IN EGYPT

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Suicide represents an important public health concern in many developed and developing countries. Suicide has become one of the most common causes of death among the young and adolescent population. It represents a crucial issue that society should make every possible effort to solve. AIM OF THE WORK:To provide an overview about the incidence of suicidal attempts among a representative sample of children and adolescents attending NECTR. METHODOLOGY: During a period of 6 months, 2350 suicidal attempts were reported to the National Egyptian Center of Toxicological and Environmental Research (NECTR), 457 (19.4%) of whom were children and adolescents. The patient’s gender, clinical state, the type and amount of the toxic substance used, management, outcome and the associated psychosocial factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Suicidal attempts were more common in females, the commonest age was from 15 to 18 years old. The majority of patients were from Giza governorate, the commonest types of poisons used were pesticides owing to their easy availability and lower price. Causes were quarrel within the family, bad treatmentat work, failure in love, and psychic troubles. Most of the cases were admitted to the centre, they received appropriate treatment according to their condition and most of them improved. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis, treatment and prevention are crucial in reducing the burden of poisoning-related injury in any country. Societies, families, and the medical community should also make every possible effort to face this serious problem, which has an important social and economical cost. The present data may not give an exact picture of the incidence of poisoning in Egypt, but representa trend in our country. The poison information centers play a vital role in providing information, highlighting the factors behind such attempts and provide statistical analysis for proper assessment and intervention.