Self poisoning: could psychiatric management be improved?
A retrospective case note study was made of 93 cases of deliberate self-poisoning admitted to the Casualty Department of a busy District General Hospital. The population under investigation is described in terms of age, sex and substance overdosed; it is broadly similar to populations described in most other studies of overdose. Our results show a higher incidence of functional psychoses (19.4%) than other studies, due to an excess of depressive psychosis in females. The main finding is that 84% of patients referred for psychiatric out-patient treatment either failed to attend or failed to complete the treatment. These results are discussed and suggestions made.
Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, London.
A A
AA
Vidalis
H N
HN
Jungalwalla
G H
GH
Baker
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*