ATTEMPTED-SUICIDE, DEPRESSION AND PHYSICAL DISEASES - A 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

In the period January 1, 1990 to March 31, 1991 a sample of suicide at tempters admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, Odense University H ospital, underwent a structured interview. In the study 52% of the pat ients interviewed were found to suffer from a somatic disease, and 21% were daily on analgesics for pain. Patients that suffered from a soma tic disease differed from other suicide attempters in depression score , age, pain and the presence of psychosis. Fewer of the somatically il l suicide attempters had a psychosis. Patients complaining of pain wer e more often depressed and abused medicine. Statistically, the risk of repetition of parasuicide for patients with a somatic disease but wit hout depression was significantly less. The 7 patients committing suic ide were older and a tendency was found towards painful somatic diseas es and depression as risk factors for suicide.