Unplanned versus planned suicide attempters, precipitants, methods, and an association with mental disorders in a Korea-based community sample

Abstract Background Studies have consistently reported that a considerable proportion of suicidal attempts are unplanned. We have performed the first direct comparison between planned and unplanned attempts including associated methods and precipitants. Method A total of 6510 adults, who had been ra...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of affective disorders 2010-12, Vol.127 (1), p.274-280
Main Authors: Jeon, Hong Jin, Lee, Jun-Young, Lee, Young Moon, Hong, Jin Pyo, Won, Seung-Hee, Cho, Seong-Jin, Kim, Jin-Yeong, Chang, Sung Man, Lee, Hae Woo, Cho, Maeng Je
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Alcohol related disorders
Alcoholism - epidemiology
Alcoholism - ethnology
Alcoholism - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Bipolar affective disorder
Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis
Bipolar Disorder - epidemiology
Bipolar Disorder - ethnology
Bipolar Disorder - psychology
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology
Depressive Disorder, Major - ethnology
Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology
Family Conflict - ethnology
Family Conflict - psychology
Female
Humans
Impulsive Behavior - epidemiology
Impulsive Behavior - ethnology
Impulsive Behavior - psychology
Korea
Life Change Events
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Disorders - ethnology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Methods
Middle Aged
Mood disorders
Motivation
Psychiatric disorders
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Recurrence
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Suicidal attempt
Suicidal behaviour
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide
Suicide, Attempted - psychology
Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data
Unplanned
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Studies have consistently reported that a considerable proportion of suicidal attempts are unplanned. We have performed the first direct comparison between planned and unplanned attempts including associated methods and precipitants. Method A total of 6510 adults, who had been randomly selected through a one-person-per-household method, completed interviews (response rate 81.7%). All were interviewed using the K-CIDI and a questionnaire for suicide. Results Two hundred and eight subjects reported a suicide attempt in their lifetime, one-third of which had been unplanned. These individuals exhibited a lower level of education; however, no significant differences were found with regard to age, gender, marital and economic status. Further, 84.0% of unplanned attempters experienced previous suicidal ideation, experiencing their first attempt 1.9 years before ideation. Additionally, 94.4% of unplanned attempters had precipitants for attempts such as familial conflict and it was also found that methods such as the use of chemical agents or falling were three times more common in unplanned than planned attempters. With respect to unplanned attempters, they exhibited a significant association with alcohol use disorder, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. In particular, bipolar disorder was found to be 3.5 times higher in these individuals. Conclusions Results have revealed that unplanned suicide attempters experience suicidal ideation and precipitants prior to their attempt. Further, attempts were associated with affective and alcohol use disorders. Therefore, in order to reduce the number of suicidal attempts, it may be useful to evaluate suicidal ideation concurrent to the treatment of existing mental disorders.
ISSN:0165-0327
1573-2517
DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2010.05.027