Demographic Influences on Suicide Attempts: A Study of Age, Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Profession

Introduction: Suicide remains a significant public health concern globally, with its prevalence reflecting complex interactions among various factors such as age, gender, socio-economic status, and profession. This study aimed to assess the patterns of suicide attempts, focusing on age, gender, socio-economic status, and profession. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Department of psychiatry, Sheikh Hasina Medical college, Jamalpur, Bangladesh during the period from January 2018 to December 2018. All patients with suicide attempts admitted in the different wards of Community-Based Medical College, Mymensingh, and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected as a sample for the study. A total of 90 patients were selected as study subjects by purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was done by SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 20. Result: The study revealed that the majority of suicide attempts occurred in the 21-30 years age group (52%), with middle-class individuals contributing the highest number (47.8%) of attempts. Unmarried individuals, particularly females, had the most attempts (58%), while students accounted for the largest percentage of suicide attempts by profession (38%), primarily in the 11-21 years age group. Rural residents had more attempts (70%) compared to urban residents (30%), and individuals from joint families (66%) were more likely to attempt suicide than those from nuclear families (34%). Conclusion: Young adults (21-30 years) and adolescents (11-21 years) are the most vulnerable age groups, with suicide attempts being notably higher among unmarried individuals and those from middle socio-economic backgrounds. Females exhibit a higher rate of attempts than males, especially among the unmarried. Professionally, students and unemployed individuals are particularly at risk.