Preliminary Study on the Clinical Characteristics between Suicide Attempters and Suicide Completers Who had Visited Emergency Room

Lee, Joong Sun; Choi, Jae Won; Park, Subin; Yoo, Hanik K; Hong, Jin Pyo

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
There is increasing evidence of an association between suicide and psychiatric disorders. This is the first report in Korea that investigated the differences of clinical and demographic characteristics between suicide completers and suicide attempters who had visited emergency room.
METHODS
For this study, we enrolled patients who had visited the emergency rooms of university-affiliated medical centers or hospitals, due to psychiatric problems, between January 2003 and December 2006. In October 2007, we used the Korea national statistical office to identify the suicide completers among these enrollees. We then conducted a retrospective chart review comparing clinical and demographic characteristics between suicide attempters and completers.
RESULTS
During the study period, 1106 subjects visited the emergency room of a university affiliated medical center or hospital. Among these subjects, the number of suicide attempters and suicide completers was 162 and 13, respectively. The proportion of suicide completion in the suicide related behavior was higher in patients with schizophrenia (27.3%) and anxiety/somatoform disorder (50.0%) compared with those with other psychiatric disorders. Suicide completers used more violent methods of suicide.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia and anxiety/somatoform disorder make more fatal suicide attempts. The proportion of suicide completion within the suicide-related behaviors of these patients was higher than found in other psychiatric disorders. A greater number of risk factors should be elucidated to provide effective suicide prevention programs in Korea.