Publication:

A study on suicidal tendency and co-morbidities among the patients attending the psychiatric outpatient department, tertiary care hospital, Nellore, SPSR Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh

Background Suicide is one of the ten major causes of death in India. Intentional self-harm is also associated with long term risk for repeated attempts as well as death by suicide. Individuals differ in the degree to which risk and protective factors affect their propensity for engaging in suicidal behaviors. The present study seeks to explore about suicidal intent among the self-harm attempters.

Methods This was a hospital based cross-sectional study and includes both male and female patients attending the psychiatric outpatient department. After obtaining the informed consent and socio-demographic information, they were evaluated with semi-structured proforma.

Results Descriptive analysis of the cases shows that 56 (46.6%) of age group between 31-40 years are commonly affected. Among the study subjects 79 (65.8%) attempters had no psychiatric illness for attempt and 41 (34.2%) subjects with past psychiatric illness, OP poisoning being the common method in 40 (33.3%) of attempters. In this study 80 (66.6%) of people did not have co-morbid conditions, drug dependency (alcohol dependence) was 20 (16.6%) and others are 20 (16.6%).

Conclusions The suicidal attempts are more in females than males and it is also common in nuclear families, rural areas and individuals with past psychological problems. In this study suicidal attempts were more common among the people not suffering any other co morbid condition.