Can suicide attempts be predicted? The results of the six-month prospective follow-up of patients who had attempted suicide and admitted to emergency service of a university hospital [İntihar girişimleri öngörülebilir mi? Bir üniversite hastanesi acil servisine intihar girişimiyle başvuran hastalarin alti aylik izlem sonuçlari]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the sociodemographic and clinical properties of suicide attempters and the risk factors associated with future attempts in this study. Methods: Total of 55 patients was recruited to current study. Forty three patients completed the follow-up period. Patients were contacted by phone and they were evaluated by a semi structured phone interview checking major depression criteria according to DSM-IV and they were asked whether they have attempted suicide and whether they are taking medication and psychiatric care. Results: The mean age and education of the sample was 29±11 years and 9±4 years respectively. Seventy five percent of suicide attempts were occurred after a life stress. Ninety eight percent of suicide attempts were self-poisoning. Eight patients (16.8%) repeated suicide attempt at least one more time during the six month follow-up period. The risk factor associated with repeated suicide attempts was presence of depression at the sixth month evaluation (p=0.01, odd's ratio: 12.39; 95% CI: 1.83-83.5). Discussion: The most important finding of this study is that depression is found to be associated with repeated suicide attempts at the end of six month follow-up period. To investigate risk factors associated with repeated suicide attempts with epidemiological studies is important for the development of both treatment and preventive health care services in Turkey.