Abstract:

Objective   To find out the socio-psychological characteristics and suicidal behavior of suicide attempters who ingested pesticides and provide some evidences for suicide prevention. Methods   Six counties from disease surveillance points of Shandong province, China were selected, and the data of 409 attempted suicides happening from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011 were obtained. All subjects were divided into two groups: 344 individuals who ingested pesticides, and 65 who used other methods. Questionnaires of socio-psychological characteristics and Beck suicide intent scale (SIS) were used to obtain information from subjects. Results   The average age of all the subjects was (43.9±13.3) years old, and 67.7% of them were female. 344 (84.1%) suicide attempters ingested pesticides, while 65 (15.9%) used other methods. The percent of females (65.7%) and the scores of trait anxiety inventory， center for epidemiologic studies depression scale， and Beck hopelessness scale were lower in the suicide attempters who ingested pesticides than those who used other methods. The suicide attempters who ingested pesticides had significantly lower isolation (39.0%) at the time of committing suicide. There was no significant difference in total score of suicide intent between the two groups (4.40±2.66 vs 4.97±2.57, t=1.58, P=0.120). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that suicide attempters who ingested pesticides were more likely to be married and had less mental disorders and physical illnesses (P<0.05). Conclusion   There are significant differences in sociopsychological characteristics between suicide attempters who ingested pesticides and those using other methods. Suicide prevention should focus on regulating the pesticides management and strengthening education.

Key words: Rural area； Attempted suicide； Pesticides； Suicidal method； Suicide intent； Interventions