Deliberate Self Harm Flashcards
what phrase is better to use instead of “attempted suicide”?
deliberate self harm
the majority of cases of deliberate self harm (not suicide) are suffering from a mental illness, true or false?
false
most are not
(most suicides have mental illness but not in self harm)
peak incidence for suicide in low and high income countries?
low income = 20s
high income = middle age
most common forms of suicide in the west?
hanging (males) self poisoning (females)
3 main time periods where drop in suicide rate is seen?
WW1
WW2
1960s (mainly attributed to the change to less toxic gas supply in kitchen appliances - i.e reducing morbidity of putting head in oven)
increased suicide rates are seen in which generation?
generation X (1965 - 1980)
seasonality of suicide?
more common in spring time
lower in autumn/winter
occupations with highest suicide risk?
unskilled workers labourers doctors (GPs and anaesthetists most common) dentists farmers
most common physical medical conditions associated with high suicide rates?
neurodegenerative conditions
how is biology different in suicide victims?
lower CSF 5-HIAA than controls
reduced binding to 5-HT transporter sites in ventral prefrontal cortex
increased post-synaptic 5-HT1a receptors
what can be seen on neuroimaging in deliberate self harm patients?
high lethality DSH = different PFC activity than low lethality DSH patients
can have reduced frontal activity
genetics in suicide?
higher concordance in monozygous twins
association between mental health and cigarette smoking?
psychiatric patients are more likely to smoke
who is DSH most common in?
women
suicide more common in men, but DSH more common in women
low socioeconomic status
low cholesterol
what is the biggest risk factor for suicide?
history of self harm
