[Suicide attempt in pupils and university students: a Tunisian case study of 61 cases]

ABSTRACT

To determine the global profile of pupils and university students who made suicide attempts. We have retrospectively examined 1623 files of pupils and university students who have consulted the psycho-pedagogical unit of psychiatry department " B " of Hedi Chaker Hospital, Sfax -Tunisia, during this time span from January 1997 to December 2009. We have taken a census 61 of files of those consulting for suicide attempts. The prevalence of suicide attempts in Tunisian pupils and university students is low [3.75%] and is probably due to sociocultural considerations. It is often a young girl [70.5%] having school difficulties [50.8%] and adaptation problems [60.6%], impulsively accomplishing her suicide attempt [91.8%], at home [83.6%], by drug ingestion [70.6%]. This profile shows the major need for communication within the family, and for the generalization of listening units at schools and universities