Citation

Carroll R, Thomas KH, Bramley K, Williams S, Griffin L, Potokar J, Gunnell D. J. Affect. Disord. 2015; 192: 8-10.

Affiliation

School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.007

PMID

26707346

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Some studies suggest that people who self-cut have a higher risk of suicide than those who self-poison. Self-cutting ranges from superficial wrist cutting to severe self-injury involving areas such as the chest, abdomen and neck which can be life threatening. This study aimed to investigate whether the site of self-cutting was associated with risk of subsequent suicide.

METHODS: We followed-up 3928 people who presented to hospital following self-harm between September 2010 and December 2013 in a prospective cohort study based on the Bristol Self-harm Surveillance Register. Demographic information from these presentations was linked with coroner's data to identify subsequent suicides.

RESULTS: People who presented with self-cutting to areas other than the arm/wrist were at increased risk of suicide compared to those who self-poisoned (HR 4.31, 95% CI 1.27-14.63, p=0.029) and this increased risk remained after controlling for age, sex, history of previous self-harm and psychiatric diagnosis (HR 4.46, 95% CI 1.50-13.25, p<0.001). We observed no such increased risk in people presenting with cutting to the arm/wrist. LIMITATIONS: These data represent the experience of one city in the UK and may not be generalisable outside of this context. Furthermore, as suicide is a rare outcome the precision of our estimates is limited.

CONCLUSIONS: Site of self-injury may be an important indicator of subsequent suicide risk.

Language: en