Attempted suicide. Do we understand the patients' reasons?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Mental Health Research
• Suicidology

Background:

• Understanding patient perspectives on suicide attempts is crucial for effective intervention.
• Discrepancies between patient and clinician views may impact treatment approaches.
• Previous research has not fully explored the nuanced emotional states preceding suicide attempts from multiple viewpoints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient, doctor, and nurse perceptions of reasons for suicide attempts.
• To examine the emotional states reported by patients immediately before a suicide attempt.
• To identify potential differences in attributions between patients and mental health professionals.

Main Methods:

• Explorative study involving 30 suicide attempt patients at a University Hospital emergency room.
• Patients, psychiatric residents, and nurses independently completed questionnaires on suicide reasons and preceding emotional states.
• Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected alongside questionnaire responses.

Main Results:

• Intrapersonal reasons (e.g., relief from distress) were commonly cited by all groups.
• Patients significantly more often reported a 'loss of control' compared to clinicians.
• Patients reported higher frequencies of anxiety/panic and emptiness, while clinicians noted despair and powerlessness.

Conclusions:

• Mental health professionals must recognize the patient's experience of anxiety/panic and loss of control during a suicide attempt.
• Acknowledging these distinct emotional states is vital for addressing the patient's immediate crisis.
• This study underscores the importance of integrating patient-reported experiences into suicide prevention and treatment strategies.