Deliberate self poisoning in adolescents.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Adolescent Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Deliberate drug overdoses in adolescents are a significant concern.
• Many adolescents experiencing overdoses have underlying family problems and prior social service involvement.
• Previous psychiatric assessments and treatments may have been attempted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine risk factors, inpatient management, and long-term outcomes of adolescents admitted for deliberate drug overdoses.
• To emphasize the need for psychiatric assessment and treatment in this population.
• To evaluate the impact of patient compliance on treatment success.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 90 adolescents admitted to a district general hospital for deliberate drug overdoses.
• Data collected on risk factors, inpatient assessment, and initial management.
• Longer-term outcomes assessed, focusing on psychiatric disorders and repeat overdoses.

Main Results:

• Nearly half of patients had separated or divorced parents; over half of families had prior social services or child guidance clinic contact.
• 75% of patients received psychiatric assessments during admission, with 66% referred for further treatment.
• Over half of those referred withdrew from treatment; 12% repeated drug overdoses.

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric assessment and treatment are essential for adolescents with deliberate drug overdoses.
• Limited success in management is strongly associated with poor patient compliance.
• Further research into improving adherence to psychiatric treatment in this demographic is warranted.