Epidemiologic findings of the patients who attempted suicide and referred to the Shahid Mohammadi hospital of Bandar Abbass in 2009

Objective: Suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide and is influenced by cultural, psychological and social aspects. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of suicide in Bandar Abbas in 2009.Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2009, all suicidal patients who were referred to the emergency room (ER) of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbass were enrolled. Fully trained medical interns of the ER first collected demographic data of the suicidal patients. Then the data, including their reason for attempting suicide, how they attempted suicide, previous suicide attempts, history of substance use, and the size of the family, were collected by direct interviewing the patient. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software.Results: About 405 patients were enrolled in the study consisting 172 men (44.2%) and 226 (55.8%) women. Mean age of the participants was 24.29±5.5 years. Most of the suicidal patients were 18 to 26 years old (64.2%). Thirty-eight percent of the women and 62% of the men were addicts. Eleven patients (2.71%) died, including eight men and three women. The most prevalent method of suicide leading to death was drug toxicity. Conclusion: Teaching problem-solving skills is an important way to control suicide. Identifying the risk groups, paying closer attention to the 18-26 age group, and moral support of the patients with previous unsuccessful suicide attempts might decrease the suicide rate.