Suicide risk Flashcards
What are the risk factors for suicide? (9)
- Male sex
- Age >45 years
- Being divorced, single or widowed
- Unemployment
- Low socioeconomic class
- Psychiatric illness
- Previous episodes of self-harm
- Chronic physical illness
- Recent adverse life events
What are the protective factors for suicide? (2)
- Having children
2. Religion
What is the annual incidence of suicide?
1 in 10,000
After an act of self-harm, what is the risk of completed suicide within the next year?
1% (that is 100 times more than the risk in the general population)
What are the features of self-harm that indicate a strong suicidal intent?
- Violent or dangerous action
- Careful planning
- Preparation, making precautions to avoid being discovered
- Failing to seek help afterwards
- Final acts (leaving a note)
What % of people who have completed suicide had seen their GP within the last month?
66.6%
What % of people who have completed suicide were a psychiatric outpatient?
25%
What % of people who self-harm have a psychiatric illness and which are the most common psychiatric illnesses associated with self-harm? (5)
90%
- Depressive episodes
- Alcohol dependence
- Substance use
- Personality disorders
- Chronic neuroses and schizophrenia
What is the annual incidence of self-harm?
3 in 1000
What % of self harm is made up on self-injury and what % is self-poisoning?
Self-injury = 10% Self-poisoning = 90%
What is couvade syndrome?
Couvade syndrome occurs in males around the time of the birth of their child. They experience symptoms similar to those of pregnancy such as nausea and dyspepsia. They may even suffer abdominal distension and labour-like contraction pains.
What is pseudocyesis?
The presence of the signs/symptoms of pregnancy e.g. amenorrhoea, breast enlargement and significant abdominal distension in a non-pregnant woman
