Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients

Background: Mortality from suicide and other causes is significantly increased in patients who engage in self-harm, but their long-term morbidity and quality of life are poorly defined. As the majority of self-harm patients are under the age of 35 years, understanding their longer term health outcom...

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Автори: Sinclair, J, Hawton, K, Gray, A
Інші автори: International Society for Affective Disorders
Формат: Journal article
Мова:English
Опубліковано: Elsevier 2010
Предмети:
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author Sinclair, J
Hawton, K
Gray, A
author2 International Society for Affective Disorders
author_facet International Society for Affective Disorders
Sinclair, J
Hawton, K
Gray, A
author_sort Sinclair, J
collection OXFORD
description Background: Mortality from suicide and other causes is significantly increased in patients who engage in self-harm, but their long-term morbidity and quality of life are poorly defined. As the majority of self-harm patients are under the age of 35 years, understanding their longer term health outcomes is important if we are to adequately manage their care. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term mortality, morbidity and quality of life of such patients. Method: A representative cohort of patients who had presented to hospital following an episode of self-harm was traced after 6 years. Mortality and repetition of self-harm were primary outcome measures. Psychiatric morbidity and indices of quality of life, and social functioning were also obtained. Results: 143/150 (95.3%) patients were traced after a mean of 6.2 years. Eight (5.6%) had died during follow-up, significantly more than general population estimates (p≤0.001), four of these (2.8%) by probable suicide. Further self-harm occurred in 58/101 (57.4%) participants; 70/97 (72.2%) fulfilled criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, and 51.3% screened positive for harmful use of alcohol. Measures of health status (EQ-5D and SF36-11) were significantly lower (p<0.001) than in the general population. Limitations: Due to the nature of this population group the attrition rate at 6 years is high; although this is the most complete such study to date. Conclusion: Despite positive outcomes in some patients, overall levels of mortality, morbidity, and harmful use of alcohol are high, whilst quality of life is reported as low. This has significant implications for the long-term management of this group.
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spelling oxford-uuid:8c2d0047-1d48-48e1-8d65-c6c4311e2aba2022-03-26T22:42:58ZSix year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patientsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8c2d0047-1d48-48e1-8d65-c6c4311e2abaSuicide researchPsychiatryEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetElsevier2010Sinclair, JHawton, KGray, AInternational Society for Affective DisordersBackground: Mortality from suicide and other causes is significantly increased in patients who engage in self-harm, but their long-term morbidity and quality of life are poorly defined. As the majority of self-harm patients are under the age of 35 years, understanding their longer term health outcomes is important if we are to adequately manage their care. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term mortality, morbidity and quality of life of such patients. Method: A representative cohort of patients who had presented to hospital following an episode of self-harm was traced after 6 years. Mortality and repetition of self-harm were primary outcome measures. Psychiatric morbidity and indices of quality of life, and social functioning were also obtained. Results: 143/150 (95.3%) patients were traced after a mean of 6.2 years. Eight (5.6%) had died during follow-up, significantly more than general population estimates (p≤0.001), four of these (2.8%) by probable suicide. Further self-harm occurred in 58/101 (57.4%) participants; 70/97 (72.2%) fulfilled criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, and 51.3% screened positive for harmful use of alcohol. Measures of health status (EQ-5D and SF36-11) were significantly lower (p<0.001) than in the general population. Limitations: Due to the nature of this population group the attrition rate at 6 years is high; although this is the most complete such study to date. Conclusion: Despite positive outcomes in some patients, overall levels of mortality, morbidity, and harmful use of alcohol are high, whilst quality of life is reported as low. This has significant implications for the long-term management of this group.
spellingShingle Suicide research
Psychiatry
Sinclair, J
Hawton, K
Gray, A
Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title_full Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title_fullStr Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title_full_unstemmed Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title_short Six year follow-up of a clinical sample of self-harm patients
title_sort six year follow up of a clinical sample of self harm patients
topic Suicide research
Psychiatry
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