Attempted suicide in Hanoi, Vietnam

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Suicide attempts are a significant predictor of completed suicides globally.
• Young people face a high risk of suicide worldwide.
• Limited data exists on suicide attempter characteristics in Asia, particularly Vietnam.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize suicide attempters in Vietnam.
• To identify demographic and etiological factors associated with suicide attempts.
• To inform suicide prevention strategies in a Vietnamese context.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records from Bach Mai General Hospital, Hanoi.
• Inclusion of 509 patients (515 events) from January 1999 to April 2001.
• Data analysis aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) Multicentre Study of Attempted Suicide criteria.

Main Results:

• The average age of attempters was 28.3 years, with nearly half aged 15-24.
• Urban attempters showed a higher female-to-male ratio (2.1:1) compared to rural areas (1.2:1).
• Acute life stressors were the primary cause (73.8%); psychiatric illness was diagnosed in only 6% prior to attempts.
• Urban attempters frequently used low-lethality analgesics/antipyretics, while rural attempters more commonly used pesticides/rat poison with higher lethality.

Conclusions:

• Western suicide prevention strategies, like restricting access to lethal agents (pesticides, rat poison), may be effective in Vietnam.
• Educational interventions focusing on conflict resolution skills can be implemented in schools.
• Targeted prevention efforts are needed for young people and specific demographic groups.