An Analysis of Attempted Suicide Cases Registered at Teaching Hospital Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Attempting suicide is a common social issue irrespective of age and gender. This study aimed to describe socio-demographic characteristics, assess the prevalence of the methods used to attempt suicide, and their associations. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using all the attempted suicides registered at the Teaching Hospital Batticaloa from August 2023 to July 2024. Among the total 828 cases recorded, majority were aged between 16 and 25 years (n=436, 52.7%), female (n=439, 53%), Tamil (n=750, 90.6%), single (n=412, 49.8%), completed grade 6-10 level of education (n=329, 39.7%) and unemployed (n=496, 59.9%). The most common method of attempted suicide was plant poisoning (n=273, 33%), followed by drug overdose (n=237, 28.6%), self-injury (n=171, 20.7%), and chemical poisoning (n=147, 17.8%). There were statistically significant associations between the method of suicide attempt and age (p = 0.000), gender (p = 0.000), ethnicity (p = 0.008), education level (p = 0.003), and occupation (p = 0.000). Young age, being female, Tamil, single, and unemployed were the most prevalent socio-demographic factors among suicide attempts. Plant poisoning and drug overdose were the most common methods. The method of attempting suicide was associated with age, gender, ethnicity, education level, and occupational status, suggesting that socio-demographic and environmental factors greatly influence the chosen method of suicide.