Risk factors for suicidal behavior: A Romanian mixed methods study

Abstract

Objectives: This study had two purposes: to explore the main socio-demographic and medical characteristics of the psychiatric patients with a history of suicidal behavior, and to identify the main risk factors underlying the suicidal ideation and acts among psychiatric patients, in the light of two recent theories of suicidal behavior. Methods: The study is based on a mixed methodological design. During 2019 to 2021, 65 hospitalized psychiatric patients, who committed at least one non-lethal suicide attempt, were investigated using a questionnaire a scales for data collection. Medical records were used to gather data about certain socio-demographic characteristics and the health status of the respondents. Patients also participated in a narrative interview aimed at disclosing their subjective experiences about their past suicidal behavior. Results: The typical psychiatric patient with a history of suicidal behavior, as highlighted by the quantitative analysis, portraits a young old male from an urban environment, childless, educated, having experienced employment problems, being involved in religious activities. The clinical picture of the patient with suicidal antecedents included a moderate or severe level of depression, the presence of socio-emotional loneliness, the manifestation of frequent and long episodes of suicidal ideation, and the intention of committing suicide in order to stop the pain, whose acts resulted in minor injuries. Findings from the qualitative data revealed four major risk factors for the non-lethal suicidal attempts: family disruptions and social problems; economic burdens; a mixture of psychiatric pathologies; and, to a lesser extent, somatic pathologies. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the triggers of suicide acts conducted in a clinical environment in the Balkan region. Implications of the pandemic are also discussed. The findings are useful for designing prevention strategies based on individual psychotherapy and therapeutic or support groups, addressing the main risk factors behind the suicidal ideation and gestures.