Abstract
The department of Psychiatry at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar, and guided by the national mental health plan, initiated a plan for suicide registry for the country.
Collect information on the patients presenting with self-harm and suicidal behaviors to the Emergency Department (ED), the primary emergency facility in Qatar.
Collection of data on the characteristics of the patients presenting to ED with intentional or accidental self-harm.
Retrospective chart review of all the cases presented to ED with self-harm, suicide attempts or committed suicide during the period between July 2011 and July 2012. Questionnaires were developed to collect the socio-demographic and clinical data available.
A total of 470 cases were identified (48 completed suicide, 165 admitted/suicide attempts, 105 intentional self-harm/not admitted and 152 accidental self harm). The majority of completed suicide were males, expatriates, in their mid 30s and died by hanging. In the admitted suicide attempters, the method was overdose; the male/female ratio was equal, mostly single, employed expatriates, and no past psychiatric diagnosis, substance abuse or previous suicide attempts. The majority of accidental self-harm were secondary to intake of high doses of non-opiate painkillers. Data on many variables were missing. More comparisons will be presented in relation to the demographics in Qatar.
The data suggest that the single male immigrants in Qatar should receive more support and more screening. More prospective data are needed with adequate collection of data to improve the quality of the registry and thus design better prevention programs.