Suicidal attempts and self‐poisoning: 1‐year retrospective cohort study from the quaternary hospital in Thai metropolitan area

Abstract

Background and Aims In Thailand, suicide is the leading cause of death among middle‐aged adults. We believe suicide characteristics depend on different cultural/socioeconomic status. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and associated factors of suicidal attempts by self‐poisoning in Bangkok, the metropolitan city of Thailand. Methods Records of all patients visiting the emergency department of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, with self‐poisoning suicidal attempts throughout 2021 were collected and analyzed. Results Self‐poisoning accounted for 110 attempts (by 74 patients). Females aged 11–30 were the most prevalent group. Pharmaceutical agents were commonly used. Most patients (86.4%) had underlying psychiatric illness(es), mostly major depressive disorder. Female, history of psychiatric illness and follow‐ups, personality comorbid, and previous attempts reached statistical significance by univariate regression for factors associated with reattempting suicide, but only personality comorbid was significant from multivariable study ( p = 0.02). Reattempting mostly recurred within 8 days after the prior attempt. Conclusion Majority of self‐poisoned patients in Bangkok were young adults taking medications, which differs from the overall Thai population where most instances involve patients of older patients (30–50 years) and ingestion of agricultural substances. Appropriate strategies are needed for specific psychosocial/socioeconomic contexts and within the critical period after previous nonfatal attempts.

Association of mental health status between self-poisoning suicide patients and their family members: a matched-pair analysis

“…Family members living together with patients might be beneficial to curb anxiety, and this could be explained that such accompany was a protective factor for anxious status. Previous study had already showed that female was vulnerable to self-poisoning suicide [ 10 , 14 ], and our study also depicted a similar trend. But, interestingly, having female family members helped to prevent self-poisoning suicide for patients.…”

“…Identification of risk and protective factors is a crucial component of national suicide prevention since it helps to further understand the kind and type of preventive actions needed. Risk factors can occur on a variety of scales, including the individual, sociocultural, and situational, and numerous factors have been linked to increased self-poisoning, including borderline personality disorder or traits [ 9 , 10 ], alcohol use disorder [ 9 ], depressive disorder [ 9 ], substance abuse [ 11 , 12 ], asthma [ 11 ], fewer social connections [ 13 ], living in neighborhoods [ 13 ], being female [ 10 , 14 ], and being young [ 13 ]. However, to the author’s best knowledge, there were few research that looked at the relationship between the mental health state of self-poisoning patients and their family members.…”

Factors Affecting the Length of Stay in the Emergency Department in Psychiatric Emergency Patients in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context

“…6 Therefore, this discussion is about ways to reduce ED LOS, which can reduce ED overcrowding. First of all, the average ED LOS of psychiatric emergency patients in this study was 19.5 h. These results are similar to the average of 24 h in a study 17 conducted at a tertiary hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand. However, in a study 18 conducted at Calary Hospital, Alberta, Canada, the average ED LOS was as low as 14 h. It is believed that this difference in ED LOS was partly due to the difference in the time when the study was conducted.…”

“…However, in a study 18 conducted at Calary Hospital, Alberta, Canada, the average ED LOS was as low as 14 h. It is believed that this difference in ED LOS was partly due to the difference in the time when the study was conducted. This study and the study of Thumtecho et al 17 were conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the study of Lane et al 18 collected data in April 2014 and March 2018.…”

Quality of life as determinants of suicidal ideation among university students: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Suicide methods vary around the world depending on socio-cultural backgrounds and variations in national laws, which affect both the suicide rate and suicide methods [ Vijayakumar, L. 2021]. Self-poisoning, firearms, and hanging are the most commonly used [Thumtecho, S.,2022]. While the United States views it as the most popular method of suicide attempt among minors, suicidal self-poisoning accounts for about 25% of all suicides in the United Kingdom [ The term quality of life refers to the improvement in the level of material and social services provided to members of society, as well as individuals' awareness of the extent to which these services can meet their various needs (Haraldstad, K.,2019).…”