One-Hundred Cases of Suicide in Budapest

Abstract

Among those committing suicide, psychosocial stress, oppressive experiences, and interpersonal relationship disorders were much more frequent and behavioral changes occurred more often in the weeks preceding death compared to the control group. A single suicide attempt during one's life span did not prove to be predictive for a later fatal action, but multiple attempts did. Major depression was diagnosed in 36% of the cases in the suicide group and 17% in the control group. Half of major-depressed suicides (18 persons) and almost all in the control group (16 persons) suffered from reactive (secondary) major depression as a result of somatic disease. Severe alcoholism was found in 33% of the suicide cases and in 44% of the control group. Drug and/or medicament consumption (misuse and/or abuse) occurred in 14% and 8% of the cases, respectively. The data emphasize again that alcoholism seems to be one of the most serious problems in Hungary both in psychological and somatic illnesses.

Risk factors for suicide in Hungary: a case-control study

“…Fewer still have considered the wider context in which the studies take place. Studies carried out in Hungary have used coroners' records [28], and those that have used inteviews have tended to consider a more limited number of variables with a focus, for example, on psychiatric disorder [5] or recent personal life events [22]. …”

The interpersonal theory of suicide.

“…The presence of multiple past attempts is an especially strong predictor of lethal suicidal behavior in both adolescents (Kotila & Lonnqvist, 1987) and adults (Christiansen & Jensen, 2007; Haw, Bergen, Casey, & Hawton, 2007; Suominen, Isometsa, Haukka, & Lonnqvist, 2004; Zonda, 2006), as is a previous attempt with high medical lethality (Gibb, Beautrais, & Fergusson, 2005). A 37-year longitudinal study indicated that the elevation in risk for lethal suicidal behavior conferred by a history of a previous attempt persists over the lifetime (Suominen, Isometsa, Suokas, Haukka, Achte, & Lonnqvist, 2004).…”

“…To take a couple of prominent examples, a history of past attempts (see references in Table 1) especially multiple past attempts (Christiansen & Jensen, 2007; Haw, Bergen, Casey, & Hawton, 2007; Kotila & Lonnqvist, 1987; Suominen, Isometsa, Haukka, & Lonnqvist, 2004; Zonda, 2006), is a robust predictor of death by suicide, yet many individuals who die by suicide do so on their first attempt (ie., up to half; Rudd, Joiner, & Rajab, 1996). The vast majority of those who die by suicide suffer from mental disorders (Cavanagh, Carson, Sharpe, & Lawrie, 2003); however, the vast majority of those with mental disorders, including disorders with the highest suicide rates, will not attempt or die by suicide, though many will think about suicide (Bostwick & Pankratz, 2000; Hawton, Sutton, Haw, Sinclair, & Harriss, 2005; Herzog, Greenwood, Dorer, Flores, Ekeblad, Richards, et al, 2000; Palmer, Pankratz, & Bostwick, 2005).…”

Comparison of Childhood Traumatic Experience and Attachment Styles among Patients in Suicide Attempts with Drugs and the Healthy Control Group

“…The relationship scales questionnaire was developed following this close relationship between different interpersonal problems and different attachment styles (Horowitz, Rosenberg, & Bartholomew 1993). In our study, we aimed to analyze the attachment styles of those who have attempted suicide by using the relationship scales questionnaire, since there is a strong relationship between attempted suicide and interpersonal problems (Zonda, 2006). It has been shown that the attachment styles of the individuals with interpersonal problems are especially the dismissing/avoidant and anxious attachment styles (Haggerty, Hilsenroth, & Vala-Stewart, 2009) Another aim of our study was to determine which of the early traumatic experiences of suicide attempters present themselves more evidently in the attachment style that they establish with others.…”