Estudio de seguimiento a 5 años de las tentativas autolíticas atendidas en el área sanitaria del Vallés Occidental Este: Comparación de las características psicopatológicas con los suicidios consumados

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide attempts and completed suicides are often assumed to represent the same group of individuals but are assessed at different points in the suicidal "career". However, there are indications that these are two distinct populations. This implies that preventive strategies more focused on attempted suicides may not be sufficient to prevent completed suicide. On the other hand, we know that only a small proportion of those who have attempted will complete suicide. Better characterization of the population of persons at risk of suicide would allow more effective preventive strategies to be initiated._x000D_ Objectives: To compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between a population of suicide attempts and another of completed suicides, and to follow up the suicide attempts during a period of 5 years to better identify the population at greater risk of re-attempting or consuming suicide._x000D_ Methodology: All suicide attempts attended at the emergency unit of the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell during a calendar year were selected. The information was obtained from the information recorded in the hospital history, primary and emergency clinical reports. We also evaluated all completed suicides over a period of 3 years, and also obtained information provided by the coroner. In order to carry out the second part of the project, all the suicide attempts attended in the emergency department and all completed suicides committed until December 31, 2012, were registered. In the context of the EAAD (European Alliance Against Depression) program, that our hospital is part of, and as a preventive measure to avoid reattempts, a telephone follow-up is carried out for 1 year to all persons attended in the emergency room after making a suicide attempt._x000D_ Results: The risk factors for consummate suicide were male sex, older age, job inactivity, being widowed and living alone, diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and alcohol consumption. Despite presenting a profile of greater social and clinical severity, subjects who completed suicide were not as frequently followed up by Mental Health services. As for the 5-year follow-up, it was observed that lower age, personality disorders and alcohol abuse or dependence are risk factors to repeat the attempt, while alcohol problems and an older age are risk factors to complete suicide. In addition, the telephone follow-up program was useful in reducing the risk of suicide, but most suicides were not part of the program. That is, most of the suicides occurred on the first attempt, thus limiting the preventive function of the programme._x000D_ Conclusions: Consummate suicides and suicide attempts appear to be two different suicidal populations. People who die from suicide have greater contact with primary care services, which should be considered when implementing preventive measures. Attention to depressive disorders and alcohol consumption should be a priority to reduce rates of consummate suicide. Action on people who have attempted suicide is an important preventive strategy but these strategies should not be limited to this population at risk.

Date of Award	18 Sept 2017
Original language	Spanish
Awarding Institution	Consorci Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí de Sabadell
Supervisor	Diego Jose Palao Vidal (Director) & Gemma García Parés (Director)