TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Spatial and temporal trends and risk factors for intentional carbon monoxide poisoning hospitalizations in England between 2002 and 2016 JO - Journal of affective disorders A1 - Roca-Barceló, Aina A1 - Crabbe, Helen A1 - Close, Rebecca A1 - Fahie, Helena A1 - Leonardi, Giovanni S. A1 - Piel, Frédéric B. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - INTRODUCTION: Suicide and mental health disorders are a recognized increasing public concern. Most suicide prevention rely on evidence from mortality data, although suicide attempts are a better predictor for completed suicides. Understanding spatio-temporal patterns and demographic profiles of people at risk can improve suicide prevention schemes, including for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, a common method for gas-related suicides.

OBJECTIVE: Describe spatio-temporal patterns of intentional CO poisoning hospitalization rates in England between 2002 and 2016, and identify population sub-groups at risk.

METHODS: We used NHS Digital's Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) routinely collected data on hospital admissions for intentional CO poisoning. We estimated age-standardised rates (ASR) by year, gender and residential small-area characteristics, including rural/urban, deprivation and ethnic composition. Temporal trends were assessed through linear regression and joinpoint regression analysis. Regional differences were explored.

RESULTS: On average, we identified 178 hospital admissions for intentional CO poisoning per year. The ASR decreased substantially over the study period, particularly among males (average annual percent change of -7.8 % (95 % CI: -11.0; -4.6)), in comparison to 3.9 % (95%CI, -6.4; -1.4) among females. Most admissions (81 %) occurred in males. White men aged 35-44 years were particularly at risk. The ASR in London (0.08/100,000) was almost six times lower than in the South-West (0.47/100,000).

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides novel insights into attempted suicides by intentional CO poisoning. Further prevention interventions, targeting sub-groups at risk (i.e. white men in their 30s/40s), need to be developed and implemented to reduce the burden of suicides and of CO poisoning.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0165-0327 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.036 ID - ref1 ER -