Clinical Characteristics of Completed versus Non-Completed Suicide and Re-Attempt Rates in 2-4 Years

Jung, Woo Young; Park, Je Min; Kang, Cheol Joong; Lee, Byung Dae; Lee, Young Min

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
We compared demographic and some clinical characteristics of completed and noncompleted suicide victims with those of non-completed. Additionally, we analyzed Re-attempt rates of non-completed suicides' in 22-4 years re-attempt ratesfrom index-attempt were also analyzed.
METHODS
Subjects were 198 suicide victims visited admitted to the Pusan National University Hospital Eemergency medical center after attempting suicide of Pusan national university hospital during 2005.1.1-to 2006.12.31. Data In February 2009, we retrospectively collected the data on these persons were collected retrospectively in Feb. 2009 fromvia medical records and telephone interviews. We analyzed their demographic data, history of previous suicide attempts, psychiatric treatments, if any, and number of re-attempts in during the 2-4 years after the index-attempt were analyzed.
RESULTS
Thirty-three were deadvictims were killed by the attempt (completed suicides), and 165 were discharged alive (non-completed suicides). Only 94 cases victims (47.5%) were consulted referred to the psychiatric department. Among the 121 survivors followedsurvivors we followed-up on, 17 (14.0%) re-attempted within 2-4 years and 2 (1.2%) were dead eventuallydied within that time frame. Twenty one (63.6%) of the 33 completed suicidesuicides, 21 (63.6%) were making their were dead by the first suicide attempt. No psychiatrist was contacted regarding these victims and did not received any psychiatric evaluation nor treatment. The completed group was characterized ascharacteristically consisted of men who were'older, married, and/or physically ill men'. Fortyfive (27.3%) of 165 non-completed suicides had previous historiesy of suicide attempts. The noncompleted group was characterized by higher rates of previous history of psychiatric treatment, psychiatric referrals, and re-attempts during the followed-up period. Sixty-five (53.7%) of the survivors received psychiatric treatments for 8.9+/-15.4 months (mean+/-SD), but their re-attempt rate (16.9%) in over 2-4 years did not significantly differ from that (10.7%) of those who did not receive treatment (10.7%).
CONCLUSION
About 2/3 of completed suicides occurs at the first attempt. These cases were on in psychiatry' the blind spot, of psychiatry because most of them did not visited psychiatry receive psychiatric attention when they were alive and were not reported to the psychiatry department after death. Psychiatric autopsies on such victims arey is necessary to develop more effective suicide screening tools and preventionve programs.