RESUMO
Objective:To compare suicide attempters with community-based controls for more specific prevention strategies.Method:From the list of suicide attempters of three general hospitals 2 years before, 363 of 786 attempters (48.5%) were found. We collected a control group matched for sex, age and location of residence and compared the life events for the past two years, life quality, family cohesion and adaptability of the past month, and impulsivity and aggressiveness.Result:The two groups were similar in sex, age, family income, marital status, occupation and health insurance status. But the suicide attempt group had less education, had more prominent impulsive and aggressive in traits, had higher levels of hopelessness, more negative life events and greater distress from negative life events in the two years after their attempt. They had poorer life quality and lower family cohesion and adaptability for the past month. They had also more severe depressive symptoms in the prior week.Conclusion:Two years after their suicide attempt, the attempters still have substantial differences from normal controls. They are a distinct high-risk subgroup that deserves specific interventions.