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Aborted suicide attempts: a new classification of suicidal behavior
M E Barber1, P M Marzuk, A C Leon
1Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Hospital, NY. meb@warwick.net
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|March 21, 1998
Summary
Aborted suicide attempts are common in psychiatric patients and indicate a high intent similar to completed attempts. Clinicians should inquire about these events as potential early suicide predictors.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Suicidology
Background:
- Aborted suicide attempts, defined as near-fatal acts with no resulting injury, are not well understood.
- Identifying early predictors of suicide is crucial for clinical intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and association of aborted suicide attempts with actual suicide attempts.
- To explore the potential of aborted attempts as early indicators of suicide risk.
Main Methods:
- A random sample of 135 adult psychiatric inpatients was interviewed.
- Standardized scales assessed suicidal intent for aborted and actual attempts, and injury severity for actual attempts.
Main Results:
- Over half of inpatients reported at least one aborted suicide attempt.
- Aborted attempts showed intent levels comparable to actual suicide attempts.
- Individuals with aborted attempts were nearly twice as likely to have made an actual suicide attempt.
Conclusions:
- Aborted suicide attempts are frequent among psychiatric inpatients and share similar intent levels with completed suicides.
- Aborted attempts are strongly associated with actual suicide attempts, suggesting their utility as predictors.
- Clinicians should routinely ask about aborted suicide attempts during patient history taking.