Objective: Suicidal behavior is a process usually starts ideations and might end up related behaviors. There are three components of suicidal act including ideation, attempting, and accomplishment. Suicidal thoughts are more prevalent in comparison to attempts and accomplishments. Suicide can be seen as a reaction to a stressful life event in individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis or as a psychiatric symptom in individuals with various psychiatric diagnoses. Although some cultural differences are seen in its prevalence and features in different countries, suicide is one of the main problems of community health. Despite its importance as a mental health problem there still is unawareness out there. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to evaluate psychiatric diagnosis (if there is any) in individuals, who present to psychiatry outpatient unit with suicidal thoughts.
Methods: Study sample consisted of 100 people, who applied to the outpatient unit of psychiatry, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Educational and Research Hospital from July 2013 to September 2013. After the study was explained and an informed consent was obtained, socio-demographic and clinical information were collected. Every individual was examined conducting an interview according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-version IV (DSM-IV-TR).
Results: Seventy-one of the sample were female and 29 were male (n=100). Mean age was 32.7±12 years. The distribution of the diagnosis was led by depression and anxiety disorders. Sixty-eight of the participants had a previous attempt history, whereas 32% attempted suicide at the time of application. Fifty-three of the participants, who applied with a suicide attempt, reported at least one previous attempt. In this group, the most prevalent method of suicide attempt was taking drugs. Many of the attempters did not share their suicidal thoughts with his/her friends prior to the attempt.
Conclusion: Although the most prevalent diagnosis seen in this sample was major depression as expected, generalized anxiety disorder, adjustment disorders, and schizophrenia were also prevalent among the people, who seek psychiatric help. So other diagnosis should also be a remainder for suicidal thoughts to clinicians. Another finding of that many of the attempters did not report their suicidal ideations to the significant others, suggests the importance of probing suicidal ideation in the psychiatric help seeking group of individuals.