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. 2024 Jun;59(6):1039-1051.
doi: 10.1007/s00127-023-02544-7. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Risk factors for mortality after hospitalization for suicide attempt: results of 11-year follow-up study in Piedmont Region, Italy

Emina Mehanović  1   2 , Gianluca Rosso  3   4 , Gian Luca Cuomo  5 , Roberto Diecidue  5 , Giuseppe Maina  3   4 , Giuseppe Costa  6 , Federica Vigna-Taglianti  7
Affiliations

Risk factors for mortality after hospitalization for suicide attempt: results of 11-year follow-up study in Piedmont Region, Italy

Emina Mehanović et al. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Suicide attempters are at high risk of premature death, both for suicide and for non-suicidal causes. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors and temporal span for mortality in a cohort of cases admitted to hospital for suicide attempt.

Methods: The cohort included 1489 patients resident in Piedmont Region, North West of Italy, who had been admitted to hospital or emergency department for suicide attempt between 2010 and 2020. Cox regression models were used to identify risk factors for death. The final multivariate model included gender, age, area deprivation index, family composition, psychiatric disorders, malignant neoplasms, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and intracranial injury or skull fracture.

Results: During the observation period, 7.3% of patients died. The highest mortality was observed within the first 12 months after suicide attempt, and remained elevated for many years afterwards. Male gender, older age, high deprivation index of the census area, single-parent family, mood disorders, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus and intracranial injuries or skull fracture were independent predictors of death. Risk factors for natural and unnatural causes of death were also identified.

Conclusions: The mortality risk of suicide attempters is very high, both in the months immediately following the attempt and afterwards. The identification of high-risk groups can help to plan outpatient care following the hospital discharge. Our findings urge the need to design strategies for the assistance and care of these patients at long term in order to reduce the unfavourable outcomes.

Keywords: Cox regression; Italy; Mortality; Risk factors; Suicide attempt.

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Conflict of interest statement

Giuseppe Maina is/has been a consultant and/or a speaker and/or has received research grants from Angelini, Boheringer Ingelheim, FB—Health, Janssen, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Innova Pharma. Gianluca Rosso is/has been a speaker and/or consultant from Angelini, Janssen, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Viatris. Other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Kaplan–Meier survival curve for patients admitted to hospital or ED for suicide attempt between 2010 and 2020, in Piedmont Region, Italy, by gender
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Kaplan–Meier survival curve for patients admitted to hospital or ED for suicide attempt between 2010 and 2020, in Piedmont Region, Italy, by psychiatric diagnosis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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