Epidemiology of deliberate self-poisoning: trends in hospital attendances.
A number of reports have suggested that the incidence of deliberate self-harm has been declining since the late 1970s. Most of these findings have emerged from studies of hospital inpatients, but a large proportion of patients are sent home directly from Accident and Emergency Departments. This study, based in the Nottingham Accident and Emergency Department, looked at attendances for deliberate self-poisoning over four separate years in the period between 1981 and 1988. The findings show a slight reduction over time in the number of attendances and overall rates, with age-specific rates holding steady for the younger age-group (15-34 years), but diminishing as age increases. It is argued that age-specific trends, based on inpatient statistics, could be distorted by Accident and Emergency discharges. It is recommended that future epidemiological studies of deliberate self-harm include patients who progress no further than the Accident and Emergency Department.
Dennis
M
M
University Hospital, Nottingham.
Owens
D
D
Jones
S
S
D000367:Age Factors; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires