Comparison of Various Factors with Different Methods of Self-Harm In Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To compare different factors in patients harming themselves with serious methods with or without suicidal intent in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Sep 2018 to Aug 2020. Methodology: All patients who were admitted to medical, surgical or psychiatry wards of the hospital after an episode of selfharm were included in the study. Detailed history and mental state examination were carried out on all the patients by a consultant psychiatrist or post-graduate trainee in psychiatry. Methods of self-harm were assessed in all the patients, and relevant socio-demographic factors were studied. Results: Out of 350 patients who were admitted with self-harm in the hospital during the study period and consented to be included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups for comparison: 189(54%) did not use any serious methods, while 161(46%) used serious methods and expressed an intent to end their lives. Cutting (80 patients, 22.8%) was the most common method of self-harm among patients included in the study, followed by overdose of prescribed medication (59 patients, 16.8%). The presence of major mental illness and substance use were found statistically significantly more in patients who used serious methods of self-harm and intent to end their lives (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: Cutting an overdose of prescribed medication emerged as the most common method of self-harm in our data set. A considerable number of p

Keywords

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Mental health
• self-harm