Background Worldwide, death by suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, and students of higher educational institutions constitute a vulnerable group. This study aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence and associated factors of suicide attempt among students of a higher education institution in Nelson Mandela Municipality. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among students of East Cape Midland College in Nelson Mandela Municipality. The participants were selected by stratified random sampling and a standardised self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results The prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts was 16.0% among the participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed higher odds of suicide attempts among participants who: experienced bullying (OR: 1.66, CI: 1.05–2.61; p < 0.001), had underlying medical conditions (OR: 3.27, CI: 2.08–5.14; p < 0.001), had abnormal body weight perceptions (OR: 1.64, CI: 1.03–2.62; p < 0.05), had experienced sexual abuse (OR: 5.72, CI: 2.86–11.45; p < 0.001), or had someone very close who had experienced sexual abuse (OR: 1.77, CI: 1.02–3.05; p < 0.05). Conclusion This study identified history of sexual abuse, bullying, perceptions of abnormal body weight and underlying medical conditions as associated risk factors of suicide attempts among the participants. The high prevalence of suicide attempts among the participants (16%) demonstrates the urgent need for campus-based interventions and prevention strategies aimed at addressing the identified associated factors.

/pdf/suicide-attempts-among-students-of-higher-education-nelson-hw5q17wa.pdf

Suicide attempts among students of higher education, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, South Africa

Introduction: In Pakistan, due to legal and religious association, cases of attempted suicides are underreported in Pakistan, yet it is essential to have accurate data so that the causality leading to this national tragedy can be studied and minimized. Psychiatric disorders leading to suicide is largely neglected and under-researched in Pakistan. In this study, we aim to observe the frequency of psychiatric disorders among suicide attempters, which can help the doctors to counsel and treat the patients better and devise preventive strategies.

Method: In this cross-sectional survey, patients brought to emergency with attempted suicide were enrolled in the study, after taking informed consent from the attendant. After initial treatment, the patient's clinical history was sought via a General Health Questionnaire-28. Once recognized, participants underwent detailed psychiatric evaluation and mental state examination.

Results: Three hundred and fifty-two (352) patients were brought to the emergency with attempted suicide, of which 249 (70.7%) patients were identified with psychiatric morbidity. The most common psychiatric disorders were mood disorder (32.1%), comorbid psychiatric disorder (20.4%), and anxiety disorders (18.4%). Our study also showed that the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders was significantly higher in females as compared to males, whereas substance use disorder was more common in males.

Conclusion: The suicide rate has increased globally due to associated psychiatric disorders. Patients inflicting self-harm or failing at suicidal attempt are inclined towards attempting suicide in future. However, the social stigma associated with psychiatric disorders has heavily affected the process of successfully identifying and treating such patients. Along with focused long-term treatment, follow-up, and enhanced surveillance programs, mass awareness campaigns should be conducted to improve the knowledge and outlook of the general population towards psychiatric disorders.

/pdf/frequency-of-psychiatric-disorders-in-suicide-attempters-a-40ye9thd9b.pdf

Payal Chhabria

Papers

Frequency of Psychiatric Disorders in Suicide Attempters: A Cross-Sectional Study from Low-Income Country