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Comparative Study
. 2004 Apr 20:4:11.
doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-4-11.

Level of suicidal intent predicts overall mortality and suicide after attempted suicide: a 12-year follow-up study

Kirsi Suominen  1 , Erkki Isometsä, Aini Ostamo, Jouko Lönnqvist
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Level of suicidal intent predicts overall mortality and suicide after attempted suicide: a 12-year follow-up study

Kirsi Suominen et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to comprehensively examine clinical risk factors, including suicide intent and hopelessness, for suicide and risk of death from all causes after attempted suicide over a 12-year follow-up period.

Methods: A systematic sample of 224 patients from consecutive cases of attempted suicide referred to health care in four Finnish cities between 1 January and 31 July 1990 was interviewed.

Results: After 12 years of follow-up 22% of these patients had died, 8% by committing suicide. The only statistically significant risk factor for eventual suicide was high scores on Beck's Suicidal Intention Scale. Male gender, older age, physical illness or disability and high scores on Beck's Suicidal Intention Scale predicted death overall.

Conclusions: Following attempted suicide, high intention to kill oneself is a significant risk factor for both death from all causes and suicide.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative proportion of patients surviving after index suicide attempt. Males have significantly less favourable prognosis than females. Censored cases are cases for which the event is not recorded = patients surviving. Kaplan-Meier survival curves: log rank statistics 8.06, df = 1, p = 0.0045.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative proportion of patients not committing suicide after the index suicide attempt. No significant difference between males and females. Censored cases are cases for which the event is not recorded = patients not committing suicide. Kaplan-Meier survival curves: log rank statistics 0.75, df = 1, p = 0.4.
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