Examination of cases admitted to the emergency department for suicide: A retrospective study of clinical outcomes

Background: Suicidal behavior is a very complex phenomenon that includes suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and death resulting from suicide with or without a predetermined plan.Emergency services are the principal help-seeking pathways for individuals with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.This study was conducted to examine the characteristics of cases admitted to an emergency department due to suicide in the last five years. Subjects and Method:This study has a retrospective and descriptive design.The retrospective document analysis included the file data of individuals admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital for suicide attempts between January 01, 2019, and December 31, 2023.A data collection form was used to obtain data. Results:The mean age of the individuals evaluated for suicide attempts in the emergency department was 32.86 12.78 years.Suicide attempts occurred mostly in women (61.2%).Of the individuals who attempted suicide, 61.6% had a history of psychiatric diagnosis, 70.2% had not attempted suicide before.Of the patients, 67.1% were single, 67.1% lived with their families, and 78.8% did not have children.Of the individuals attempting suicide 23.5% had a diagnosis of depression.Suicide attempts were higher in individuals without a romantic relationship, those with a psychiatric history, those with repeated suicide attempts, and those with personal stress. Conclusions:Several warning signs including behavioral warning signs such as experiencing negative interpersonal life events, alcohol abuse, suicide-related communications, and preparation of personal affairs for suicide and after death have been associated with near-term risk for suicide attempts.