Abstract
BackgroundResearch on suicide attempts during pregnancy is limited as these are considered to be rare in the perinatal period.AimA retrospective pilot study was undertaken to establish what percentage of suicide attempters admitted to a hospital were pregnant and to identify their clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.SettingThe study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Durban, South Africa.MethodsA retrospective chart review was undertaken of all female patients admitted following suicide attempts over a period of 1 year. Clinical and sociodemographic data of pregnant suicide attempters were extracted.ResultsOf 27 charts reviewed, 33% (n = 9) patients were pregnant at the time of the attempt. V Code diagnoses predominated, followed by major depressive disorder. Past psychiatric diagnoses and suicide attempts were also presentConclusionSuicide attempts during pregnancy are not rare. Pregnant women should be routinely screened for prior suicide attempts, depression and stressors as part of perinatal assessments.
Highlights
Research on suicide attempts during pregnancy is limited as these are considered to be rare in the perinatal period
V Codes constituted the majority of the diagnoses
While participants diagnosed as having an Major depressive disorder (MDD) had made previous suicide attempts while pregnant, no mental health help had been sought
Summary
Research on suicide attempts during pregnancy is limited as these are considered to be rare in the perinatal period. Research on suicidal behaviour indicates that males are four times more likely to commit suicide than females, but that women are more likely to have suicidal thoughts.[1] Maternal and child health issues together with injury and violence have been identified as some of the quadruple burdens of disease facing the South African health care system.[2] research on self-injury such as suicide attempts in pregnancy is limited owing to a belief that pregnancy is protective against suicide and suicidal behaviour.[3] One of the few studies which examined suicide attempts in pregnancy in a developing country found a rate of 5.0%.4. Given that the suicide rate for females in South Africa is 4.5 per 100 000,5 with twice as many women reporting suicide attempts as men (3.8% vs 1.8%)[6] and that pregnancy is a critical time period for most women, this area is under-researched in South Africa
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