Attempted suicide and seriousness of intent

ABSTRACT

This descriptive research was conducted to estimate the method of suicide and suicidal intent among hospitalised suicide attempters at Pakistan Ordinance Factory [POF] Hospital, Wah Cantt, from December 2012 to June 2013. Data were collected from 49 hospitalised suicide attempters through purposive sampling technique by using Suicidal Intent Scale. Majority of suicide attempters [92%] used self-poisoning as the method of suicide regardless of their gender, age, occupation, past medical history, past psychiatric history, and history of suicide and psychiatric illness in their families. Additionally, most of them [43%] reported high level of suicidal intent, while 16 [33%] reported medium suicidal intent and 12 [24%] reported mild suicidal intent. Keeping in view the fact that majority of suicide attempters used self-poisoning as a method and most of them reported high level of suicidal intent, it is important to plan preventive measures: