title: Serious suicidal behaviors: socio-demographic and clinical features in a multinational, multicenter sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Declared suicidal intent and physical danger are both considered important components in defining suicidal behaviors (SB).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  1) To investigate characteristics of serious suicidal behaviors (SSB), defined by either suicidal intent or lethality; 2) To determine any difference in terms of socio-demographic, clinical and/or service usage variables between SSB and non-serious suicidal behaviors (NSSB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2631 contacts for SB were registered in the context of the MONSUE (Monitoring Suicidal Behavior in Europe) study project. Demographic and clinical information were registered. ICD-10 was used for classifying data about psychiatric diagnoses, methods used for SB and injuries reported. Clear intentionality, high-case fatality methods and serious injuries all defined SSB (n = 1169; 44.4%)
  
  
  RESULTS
  SSB were more often preceded by a contact with an inpatient (either psychiatric or somatic) rather than an outpatient service. Among those having a previous history of SB, SSB subjects had fewer contacts with health services before the previous attempt. The strongest predictors for SSB appeared to be older age and not professing a religion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many of the known factors contributing to the risk of completed suicide were also present for SSB. Our findings on service usage by suicide attempters show which aspects of mental health services should be strengthened in order to improve suicide prevention.
authors: Vladimir Carli, Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise , Italy , and National Prevention of Suicide and Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Carli
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Mandelli
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Zaninotto
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Iosue
authors: Gergo
authors: G
authors: Hadlaczky
authors: Danuta
authors: D
authors: Wasserman
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: Hegerl
authors: Airi
authors: A
authors: Värnik
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Reisch
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Pfuhlmann
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Maloney
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Schmidtke
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Serretti
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Sarchiapone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data