title: Ethnic differences in self-poisoning across South London.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-poisoning (overdose) is the commonest form of self-harm cases presenting to acute secondary care services in the UK, where there has been limited investigation of self-harm in black and minority ethnic communities. London has the UK's most ethnically diverse areas but presents challenges in resident-based data collection due to the large number of hospitals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rates and characteristics of self-poisoning presentations in two central London boroughs.
  
  
  METHODS
  All incident cases of self-poisoning presentations of residents of Lambeth and Southwark were identified over a 12-month period through comprehensive acute and mental health trust data collection systems at multiple hospitals. Analysis was done using STATA 12.1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rate of 121.4/100,000 was recorded across a population of more than half a million residents. Women exceeded men in all measured ethnic groups. Black women presented 1.5 times more than white women. Gender ratios within ethnicities were marked. Among those aged younger than 24 years, black women were almost 7 times more likely to present than black men were.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-poisoning is the commonest form of self-harm presentation to UK hospitals but population-based rates are rare. These results have implications for formulating and managing risk in clinical services for both minority ethnic women and men.
authors.affiliation: <location>Department of Psychological Medicine, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK</location>
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.affiliation: <location>Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK</location>
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhugra
authors.affiliation: <location>Department of Clinical Toxicology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK</location>
authors.forename: Paul I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Dargan
authors.affiliation: <location>Department of Clinical Toxicology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK</location>
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: <location>Department of Clinical Toxicology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK</location>
authors.forename: Shaun L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: <location>Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK</location>
authors.forename: Tom K J
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ethnicity; self-harm; self-poisoning