Background: This study examined the role of mental pain, communication difficulties, and suicide history in predicting the medical severity of follow-up suicide attempts.
Methods: The cohort included 153 consecutive psychiatric in-patients who participated in earlier studies 1-9 years previously. Fifty-three had a history of a medically serious suicide attempt (MSSA), 64 had a history of a medically non-serious suicide attempt (MNSSA), and 36 had no history of suicide. A MSSA was defined as a suicide attempt that warranted hospitalization for at least 24h and extensive medical treatment. Participants completed a battery of instruments measuring mental pain and communication difficulties. Findings were analyzed in relation to follow-up suicide attempts and their severity.
Results: Fifty-three patients (35.5%) had attempted suicide: 15 (9.9%) a MSSA (including 5 fatalities) and 38 (25%) a MNSSA. The medical severity of the index attempt and level of hopelessness at the index attempt were significantly correlated with medical severity of the follow-up attempt. In younger patients, high levels of depression and self-disclosure predicted the medical severity of the follow-up attempt. In patients with relatively low hopelessness, the medical severity of the attempt increased with the level of self-disclosure.
Limitations: (i) Possibly incomplete patient information, as some of the patients who participated in the index studies could not be located. (ii) Relatively small group of patients with an index MSSA.
Conclusions: Patients who have made a suicide attempt should be assessed for medical severity of the attempt, hopelessness, and communication difficulties, which are important factors in follow-up attempts.
Keywords: Communication; Medically serious suicide attempt; Mental pain; Suicide.
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