Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with Severe Suicide Attempts among Individuals Presenting at the Emergency Department

Abstract

Severe suicide attempts represent critical incidents characterized by high lethality or medical acuity, posing significant risks of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To assess the risk factors linked to severe suicide attempts among those presenting in the Emergency Department. Methods: The cross-sectional study took place at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Makran Medical College, Turbat, Pakistan covering the period from 21 December 2023 to 21 March 2024. The study included 90 patients aged 18 years or older who were admitted to the ED with a documented suicide attempt. Variables related to demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, substance use history, and details of the suicide attempt. Collected data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS, version 27.0. Results: The majority of participants were female (56.7%), with a mean age of 31.01 ± 12.42 years. Major depressive disorder was the most prevalent (33.3%), followed by anxiety disorder (18.9%). Other conditions included abuse of narcotics (6.7%), schizophrenia (4.4%), and a history of previous suicide attempts (1.1%). The most frequently cited reasons were psychiatric illnesses (n=28, 31.1%) and family problems (n=26, 28.9%), followed by financial problems (13.3%) and romantic relationship issues (6.7%). In the study cases, suicide attempts mostly occurred between 6 am to 12 pm (38.9%) and 12 pm to 6 pm (34.4%). The majority of patients were hospitalized (61.1%). Conclusions: It was concluded that the urgent need for targeted suicide prevention initiatives, with major depressive disorder identified in 33.3% and drug poisoning as prevalent in 40.0% of suicide attempts.