Verbally Expressed Intentions of Parasuicide: I. Characteristics of Patients with Various Intentions

Abstract

Comparisons of 584 parasuicides with a verbalized intention to die and 341 parasuicides with other intentions were made on a number of sociodemographic and clinical/psychological variables. The results revealed that patients with a verbalized intention to die had different life-problems than those with other intentions. More specifically, after sex and age had been controlled for, patients with an intention to die were more often economically inactive and were more likely to report psychiatric problems as their main concern, while those with other intentions more often abused alcohol and were more likely to report family or economical problems. The identification of discriminating risk factors is important in light of the fact that those with an intention to die made more life-threatening attempts, as reflected by the choice of method and the medical judgment of the attempt's seriousness.