Pattern of Suicide Attempts in Southern Nepal: a Multi-Centered
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Pattern of Suicide Attempts in Southern RESEARCH Nepal: A Multi-Centered Retrospective Study Suresh Thapaliya*1, Anoop Krishna Gupta1, Suraj Tiwari2, Mohan Belbase, Shreya Paudyal2 1Department of Psychiatry,National Medical College, Birgunj, Parsa, Nepal 2 Department of Psychiatry, Lumbini Zonal Hospital,Rupandehi, Nepal Date of Submission : Feb 17, 2018 Received in Revised Form : March 02, 2018 Date of Acceptance : March 12, 2018 Date of Publishing : July 30, 2018 ABSTRACT Most of the attempts (87%) were triggered by Background: Suicide has become a major public psycho-social factors before the attempt, mainly health issue in low income underdeveloped interpersonal conflicts. countries like Nepal. In Nepal, suicide research based on General Hospital Psychiatry Unit Conclusions: The pattern shows predominance (GHPU) settings can be informative to explore of female gender, younger age group, a role of the trend in suicidal behaviors. In this study, we mental illness, impulsivity and psychosocial aimed to study the pattern of suicide attempts factors in suicide attempts. Future research in Southern Nepal by including retrospective should focus on these aspects to develop effective suicide attempt cases registered in the three prevention strategies. GHPU centers. Keywords: Psyco-social, Suicide, Southern Methods: The study included 116 survivors Nepal, Self Poisoning of suicide attempts registered over a period of six months (Jan, 2017 to July, 2017) at three *Corresponding Author: Dr. Suresh Thapaliya, centers in Southern region of Nepal. The cases Department of Psychiatry, NMC, Birgunj, Parsa, were referred from medical emergency or other Nepal, Email: [email protected] medical departments for psychiatric evaluation. They underwent evaluation by at least one INTRODUCTION consultant psychiatrist and received appropriate Suicide has become a serious public health interventions. problem globally contributing to around 800000 deaths every year. Data show that for each adult Results: Majority of the victims were female who died of suicide, there may have been more (68%), belonging to younger age group (90%) with than 20 others attempting suicide.1 The World one third in adolescent age group and homemakers Health Organization South-East Asia region had (32%) or students (31%) by occupation. The most age standardized suicide rate of 13.27 per 100000 common method of attempt was self poisoning population in 2015, more than the global average with pesticides (78.4%) followed by medication (10.67) and higher than other WHO regions.2 overdose (8.6%) and hanging (7.8%). Most of the attempts (82.7%) were impulsive in nature. Mental Nepal is a South Asian country located between illness was diagnosed in 60 % of the cases, mainly India and China with population of 28.5 million depressive disorder, and adjustment disorder. having multi-ethnic background and majority (86%) living in rural areas. It is geographically MED PHOENIX : An Official Journal of NMC, Birgunj, Nepal, Volume (3), Issue (1), July, 2018, 41-47 41 Thapaliya et al. divided into the northern Himalayas (Himal), OBJECTIVE the central hilly region (Pahad) and the southern This study aims to explore socio-demographic plain belt (Terai) and each region is inhabited characteristics, pattern of attempts, psychiatric by communities with distinct socio-cultural diagnosis, psychosocial and personality factors background. Despite the huge burden of mental among survivors of suicide attempts presenting illness and treatment gap, delivery of mental to General Hospital Psychiatry Unit (GHPU) health service in Nepal is facing several barriers settings located in the Southern region of like low prioritization and funding for mental Nepal. health by the government, poor public awareness, high stigma and unfavorable psychosocial factors METHODOLOGY leading to restricted treatment seeking by the Study design and setting: The study had affected people, limited number of mental health a retrospective design with data collection professionals, mostly practicing in the metropolis, based on review of clinical records of suicide availability of few trained community mental attempt surviviors evaluated at the department health workers and limited treatment options. 3,4 of Psychiatry in three GHPU centres situated in the Southern belt of Nepal. Data collection Amidst growing coverage in the media, suicide was done from two private teaching hospitals has been considered as the silent or the hidden associated with medical colleges, located at epidemic.5 However, Nepal still lacks national level Kohalpur (Banke district) in Mid-Western Nepal suicide surveillance and prevention programs. and Birganj (Parsa district) in Central Nepal. This has led to confusion regarding actual rate of The third centre was a GHPU of a Governement suicide and restricted efforts for development of Zonal hospital located in Butwal (Rupandehi feasible suicide prevention strategies.6 district) of Western Nepal. Each centre had a Psychiatry department with at least one full time A scoping review of literature on self harm and practising consultant psychiatrist. suicide behavior in Nepal found that the victims were predominantly females, belonging to Eligibility criteria: The study sites were chosen younger age group with prominent role of mental purposively. illness and psychosocial stressors.7 Following inclusion criteria were used to screen the medical records of registered suicide attempt cases. In Nepal, General Hospital Psychiatry Unit 1. Identified as suicide attempt cases by medical (GHPU) settings play vital role in delivery of emergency/other departments and referred to mental health services. Individuals with suicide the department of psychiatry for evaluation st st attempts are brought to medical emergency for between 1 January, 2017 to 31 July,2017 management, stabilized by medical or surgical 2. Complete psychiatric evaluation done by at least one psychiatrist with collateral departments and referred to Psychiatry department information from the close family members for detail evaluation during admission or discharge. 3. Registered as suicide attempt/deliberate self Hence, suicide research based on GHPU settings harm after psychiatric evaluation can be informative to explore the trends in suicidal behaviors. Most of the past studies on suicide Following cases were excluded from the study. attempts in Nepal have done data collection in . Patients who were medically unstable (e.g. in a single GHPU setting, especially in teaching altered sensorium) causing difficulty in detail hospital located either in the capital, big peripheral psychiatric evaulation; cities or hilly region of the country. There is scarcity . Absence of reliable informants during of data from the Southern region of Nepal which is evaluation; inhabited by population with an entirely different . Diagnosed as accidental cases; ethnic and socio-cultural background from rest of . Death during the hospital stay due to medical Nepal. Hence, it is important to understand the complications pattern of suicide attempts in this population of Nepal to outline specific prevention strategies. 42 MED PHOENIX : An Official Journal of NMC, Birgunj, Nepal, Volume (3), Issue (1), July, 2018, 41-47 Pattern of Suicide Attempts Study procedure: The clinical registers in the Table 1 : Socio-demographic profiles of self department of Psychiatry in the three centers harm/suicide attempters in Southern Nepal Number of were retrospectively screened for registered Socio-demographic variables subjects (%) suicide attempt cases during six months period Gender st st (1 January,2017 to 31 July,2017). The data Male 37 (31.9) regarding socio-demographic characteristics of Female 79 (68.1) Age group category (years) the individuals, details of the attempts, psychiatric Early adolescence (<14) 8(6.9) diagnosis, psychosocial stressors and personality Late adolescence (14 to 19) 31(26.7) factors were extracted from the records. The Young adulthood (20-35) 64(55.2) Middle/Late adulthood (36-59) 10(8.6) individuals had undergone standard clinical Geriatric age group (>60) 3(2.6) evaluation by at lease one qualified psychiatrist Ethnicity in each centre. The evaluation included recording Upper caste hill region 36(31) Upper caste plain region 20(17.2) of the socio-demographic characteristics, detail Indigenous hill region 6(5.2) interview with the victims lasting at least one hour Indigenous plain region 35(30.2) with Psychiatric history taking and Mental Status Disadvantaged/ religious/ethnic minority 19(16.4) Marital status Examination (MSE) and collateral information Married 69(59.5) from the close family members along with Single 47(40.6) review of the available medical records. After Occupation Students 36(31.03) clinical evaulation, the inviduals were diagnosed Homemakers 37(31.9) based on ICD-10 classification of mental and Self-employed 24(20.7) behavioral disorders criteria. They were either Agriculture 6(5.2) Manual laborer 10(8.62) admitted or advised follow up in outpatient basis Unemployed/Retired 3(2.6) depending upon severity of the attempt, risk of further attempts and their psychiatric diagnosis. Details of the attempt: The details about suicide All of them received appropriate pharmacological attempts have been mentioned in Table 2. Self and psychological interventions depending upon poisoning with pesticides was the most attempt their clinical diagnosis. method (78.4%), mainly with organophosphates. Some individuals (8.6%) had attempted to RESULTS overdose