Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorHoare, Jacqueline
dc.contributor.advisorLouw, Kerry-Ann
dc.contributor.authorPieterse, Deirdre
dc.date.accessioned2019-02-19T13:48:47Z
dc.date.available2019-02-19T13:48:47Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.date.updated2019-02-19T09:47:59Z
dc.description.abstractBackground: Hospital-based research provides important insight into the burden of suicide behaviour and methods used in deliberate self-harm (DSH). The information on methods used in DSH may be useful to plan suicide-related intervention and prevention programmes. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the methods used in DSH at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical and treatment data were collected from 238 consecutive DSH patients who presented for emergency department treatment at the hospital. Univariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used to explore the associations between these variables and violent and non-violent method of DSH. Results: Self-poisoning was the most common method of self-harm (80.3%, n=191). Prescription medication was the most common form of self-poison (57.6%, n=137) while a large number of patients used the non-prescription medication paracetamol (40.9%, n=54). In the bivariate regression analysis, male gender, stating that the reason for DSH was to escape a situation and history of substance use were associated with violent method of DSH. Conclusion: This study contributes to emerging literature on methods used in DSH in South Africa. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of prescription medication commonly used in DSH. More research on the source of prescription medication and its relationship to DSH is needed. Limiting the quantity and reviewing the packaging of paracetamol available in supermarkets may be effective strategies of means restriction that could be adopted in South Africa. This study underscores the need for increased collaboration between the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health in providing substance use interventions to high-risk population groups.
dc.identifier.apacitationPieterse, D. (2018). <i>Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationPieterse, Deirdre. <i>"Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationPieterse, D. 2018. Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Pieterse, Deirdre AB - Background: Hospital-based research provides important insight into the burden of suicide behaviour and methods used in deliberate self-harm (DSH). The information on methods used in DSH may be useful to plan suicide-related intervention and prevention programmes. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the methods used in DSH at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical and treatment data were collected from 238 consecutive DSH patients who presented for emergency department treatment at the hospital. Univariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used to explore the associations between these variables and violent and non-violent method of DSH. Results: Self-poisoning was the most common method of self-harm (80.3%, n=191). Prescription medication was the most common form of self-poison (57.6%, n=137) while a large number of patients used the non-prescription medication paracetamol (40.9%, n=54). In the bivariate regression analysis, male gender, stating that the reason for DSH was to escape a situation and history of substance use were associated with violent method of DSH. Conclusion: This study contributes to emerging literature on methods used in DSH in South Africa. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of prescription medication commonly used in DSH. More research on the source of prescription medication and its relationship to DSH is needed. Limiting the quantity and reviewing the packaging of paracetamol available in supermarkets may be effective strategies of means restriction that could be adopted in South Africa. This study underscores the need for increased collaboration between the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health in providing substance use interventions to high-risk population groups. DA - 2018 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2018 T1 - Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa TI - Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationPieterse D. Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2018 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherLiaison Mental Health
dc.titleFactors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMPhil
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