1999 issue 4

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Volume 8, issue 4

Próby samobójcze młodzieży

Social and psychiatric determinants of attempted suicide in the youth

Agnieszka Gmitrowicz1
1. II Kliniki Psychiatrycznej Katedry Psychiatrii AM w Łodzi
Postępy Psychiatrii i Neurologii, 1999, 8, 457-464
Keywords: attempted suicide, youth

Abstract

The aim of the study was a multidimensionalanalysis of suicidal behavior in adolescentsand young adults as well as assessment of the risk oftheir attempted suicide (AS) resumption in relationto their psychiatric diagnosis and social functioninglevel. Subjects in the study were 84 patients (aged14-21) admitted after their AS to the Department ofAcute Poisoning, Institute of Occupational Medicinein Łódź, who had never received any psychiatric treatment before. 70% of the sample under studywere girls. The following phenomena were found tobe associated with increased risk of suicidal attemptin young people: parental alcohol dependence, disturbedfamily relations, conflicts with significantothers, and rejection. In almost all cases (with oneexception only) various mental disorders were presentduring their AS: the most frequent were mooddisorders (in 2/3 of the patients), affective and behaviordisorders (in 1/5) and psychotic disorders (inevery tenth case). Moreover, it was found that thelower was the level of general functioning on youngpeople after AS, the higher was the risk of theirre-attempting suicide.

Address for correspondence:
Dr Agnieszka Gmitrowicz, II Klinika Psychiatryczna Katedry Psychiatrii AM,
ul. Czechosłowacka 8/10, 92-216 Łódź