A 5-year follow-up study of suicide attempts.
Seventy-five patients were admitted to the ward of the Lund Suicide Research Center following a suicide attempt. After 5 years, the patients were followed up by a personal semistructured interview covering sociodemographic, psychosocial and psychiatric areas. Ten patients (13%) had committed suicide during the follow-up period, the majority within 2 years. They tended to be older at the index attempt admission, and most of them had a mood disorder in comparison with the others. Two patients had died from somatic diseases. Forty-two patients were interviewed, of whom 17 (40%) had reattempted during the follow-up period, most of them within 3 years. Predictors for reattempt were young age, personality disorder, parents having received treatment for psychiatric disorder, and a poor social network. At the index attempt, none of the reattempters had diagnoses of adjustment disorders or anxiety disorders. At follow-up, reattempters had more psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90), and their overall functioning (GAF) was poor compared to those who did not reattempt. All of the reattempters had long-lasting treatment ( > 3 years) as compared to 56% of the others. It is of great clinical importance to focus on treatment strategies for the vulnerable subgroup of self-destructive reattempters.
Johnsson Fridell
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Department of Psychiatry, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
Ojehagen
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A
Träskman-Bendz
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L
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002423:Cause of Death; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention