Treatment priority for suicide ideation and behaviours at an Australian emergency department

AIM: To investigate the treatment priority given to selfharmers presenting to a hospital emergency department(ED) in Queensland, Australia, over the period 2005-2010. METHODS: The main outcome measure of this study was the treatment priority given to persons presenting with suicide ideation and communication(SIC) or self-harming behaviour. Treatment priority was measured using the Australasian Triage Scale, which ranks patients from 1(in need of immediate treatment) to 5(assessment and treatment to start within 120 min). Ordered logistic regression was used to assess the broad demographic and treatment-related factors associated with more urgent triage categories and to in-vestigate which methods of non-fatal suicidal behaviour(NFSB) were prioritised as most urgent.RESULTS: Most cases of NFSB were between 15 and 34 years. A larger proportion of persons presenting for SIC were aged 35 to 44 years. Over 50% of male presentations and 38% of female presentations were for SIC. Those cases prioritised as being more urgent had significantly greater odds of being older, presented after an act of self-harm rather than SIC, and had used multiple methods of NFSB. These individuals also had greater odds of being male and having made past presentations for SIC or NFSB. Among males, those presenting after ingestion of drugs had the greatest odds of receiving immediate attention compared to SIC. "Cutters" were considered as the least "urgent" subjects, and had a greatest risk of waiting 60 to 120 min for treatment compared to suicide ideators. Among females, those presenting with chemicals, poisons and gases had the greatest odds of receiving immediate attention compared to SIC. Females who presenting after cutting themselves had lower odds of receiving immediate treatment than those who presented with SIC. CONCLUSION: ED staff seems to judge the urgency of cases based on demographic factors such as age and gender, as well as method of NFSB.

Suicide in Immigrants: An Overview

Globalization in the Internet era has rendered job mobility and migration frequent and important social phenomena, with implications at several different levels of societies. In addition, migration, either voluntary or forced, is accompanied by significant changes in suicide ideation, frequency of suicide attempts and rates of suicide of people that migrate compared to the host country. However, several different peculiarities render the interpretation of the interaction of migration-suicidality as quite complex. This article provides an overview of the most significant aspects that contribute to this complexity, in order to provide the reader with a road map for better orientation in a world of rapidly changing landscapes.

中国农药的可获得性与严重自杀企图(英文)

The case-control study of attempted suicide by Jiang and colleagues that appeared in the last issue of the Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry,reminds us of the many peculiarities and differences in suicidal behavior around the world.The study examined characteristics of medically serious

Managing suicidal patients in clinical practice

The clinical management of suicidal patients can be very challenging. This paper guides the reader through the basic steps in assessing a subject and deciding the type of treatment to provide. Characteristics of main psychiatric pathologies associated with suicidality are described, with attention to the peculiarities that specific associations may frequently entail.

Loneliness in Adolescents: A Flash Survey through Smartphones

Background: Loneliness has recently jumped to scholars’ attention due to a number of longitudinal studies’ results, impacting on health and quality of life of individuals, and political activities (such as the appointment of a dedicated ministry in the UK). All of these results have stimulated the need for better knowledge of the phenomenon and their consequences on different gender and age groups. Aim: So far, most of attention has been dedicated to the problem of older adults;however, younger individuals seem to also appear very vulnerable to loneliness. Method: This short communication is meant to open a window on adolescents’ feelings of being lonely or socially isolated, and does so through an investigation performed in the context of a conference on the very theme of loneliness. Results: Even at the age group considered in this study (individuals between 14 and 16 years old) loneliness appears to be a frequent problem. The contribution of the Internet and social media to this phenomenon needs to be clarified. Conclusions: Raising awareness on the seriousness of loneliness for an individual’s health and wellbeing appears today of paramount importance. Actions need to be taken at different levels to counteract the consequences of loneliness.

The <i>Hikikomori</i>Phenomenon: Could Loneliness Be a Choice of Self-Restriction from Society?

Originated in Japan, the hikikomori phenomenon—as a form of individual withdrawal—has progressively widespread and gained international attention, given its psycho-social and economic consequences. In fact, hikikomori appears today as a problem that cannot be confined solely to the field of mental health. Rather, it appears as a phenomenon that concerns many aspects of modern society, intersecting with medicine, sociology, anthropology, politics, economics, culture and education. In the context of the actual loneliness pandemic, hikikomori individuals present characteristics that are examined in this article, together with suggestions for its possible management.