[Attempted suicide: epidemiological changes between 1969-1996. A retrospective study of 1,150 cases]. / Intento de suicidio: cambios epidemiológicos entre 1969-1996. Estudio retrospectivo de 1.150 casos.

BACKGROUND: Over the last 40 years, suicide attempts have become a health problem of epidemic proportions. In order to update preventive measures, we describe the variations observed in the epidemiologic pattern of patients who attempted suicide between 1969-96. METHOD: A total of 1,150 suicide attempts seen in the Emergency Service of a General Hospital during this period was analyzed. The study protocol included: sociodemographic data, psychiatric antecedents and diagnosis, suicide behaviour and triggering life-events. RESULTS: Throughout the 27 years of the study the most relevant changes in the suicide-attempt population were: progressive levelling between males and females and an increase in antecedents and previous psychiatric treatments (11% vs 74%). The distribution of the psychiatric diagnoses changed in its relative frequency. A dramatic increase was observed in the number of patients who repeated the suicide attempt (22% vs 50%). Triggering life-events tended to vary in relation to sociological changes. CONCLUSIONS: Throughout the study period we observed a progressive increase of psychiatric diagnoses in suicidal patients. Therapeutic programs are needed to prevent repetition of suicide attempts, both during periods of psychopathologic exacerbation and during psychosocial adaptation crises triggered by life-events.

[Schizophreniform disorder: a comparative study of the active phases of schizophrenic disorders]. / Trastorno esquizofreniforme: un estudio comparativo con las fases activas de los trastornos esquizofrénicos.

An attempt is made to clinically differentiate between schizophreniform and schizophrenic disorders through the data obtained from a computerized clinical record. The information was handled by the SPSSX statistical program package. A group of 15 variables (flat affect, altered spontaneous attention, delusional mood, primary delusion, thoughts of suicide, disturbed sleep, D and Pt scores of the MMPI, axis V of DSM-III, secondary effects evaluated after a month of treatment, length of hospitalization, disorder development time and migration) enabled the two disorders to be differentiated, and of these, four (migration, Pt score on the MMPI, BPRS score after a month of treatment and the secondary effects after one month treatment) formed a discriminant function that differentiated 100% of the cases studied.