DELIBERATE SELF-INFLICTED TRAUMA - POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS, THE NATURE OF INJURY AND A COMPARISON WITH PATIENTS WHO OVERDOSE

Self-inflicted harm, whether by trauma or drug overdose, is not uncomm on, and has important social consequences. This study was a retrospect ive record analysis of patients who presented to an emergency departme nt after deliberate self-inflicted harm. Over the two-year study perio d, there were 175 self-inflicted trauma and 441 overdose presentations . The self-inflicted trauma patients were a heterogeneous group and in cluded patients who displayed suicide-related behaviour and behaviour not related to suicide. The self-inflicted traumatic injuries tended t o be either relatively minor or potentially very serious. Lacerations to the upper limb were seen most frequently. The trauma and overdose g roups were almost mutually exclusive populations and showed some signi ficant differences. The trauma group was smaller, contained a signific antly greater proportion of younger patients and males, presented more commonly in the late evening and early morning hours and ultimately r eceived less psychiatric counselling. Research of this type has proble ms of underreporting and data bias. Prospective studies of self-inflic ted trauma would improve the identification of patients after self-har m and improve the understanding of the relationship between the patter ns of injury, psychiatric diagnosis and the long-term risk of future s elf-harm.