A study of people who attempted suicide referred to the emergency ward of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb hospital, Rafsanjan, Iran (2016)

Background: Suicide attempts, being considered from among psychiatric emergencies, are under the category of social and health problems that affect the individual, the family, and even the community. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of people who attempted suicide referred to the emergency ward of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb hospital in the city of Rafsanjan, Iran in 2016. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted using a census on 347 individuals who had attempted to suicide and were referred to the emergency ward of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb hospital in the city of Rafsanjan, in 2016. Data collection was conducted on a monthly basis using the checklist of the suicide prevention plan provided to the emergency wards by the health department. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were applied. Results: 347 cases of suicide attempts were occurred, with three cases (0.9%) leading to death. The mean age of the individuals who attempted suicide was 26.15 years, with the standard deviation of 8.81 years. Among those individuals, 268 individuals (77.2%) had attempted suicide only once, 54 individuals (13%) twice. About 190 individuals (54.8%) were women, and 138 individuals (73.4%) carried out suicide using drugs. Conclusion: It can be concluded that considering the easy access of the people to drugs, the most prevalent method of suicide was using drugs. Besides, having the highest percentage of suicide, women are leading in suicide attempts.