Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T10:25:38.129Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Recent clinical and epidemiological trends in parasuicide in Edinburgh and Oxford: a tale of two cities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Stephen Platt ,
Keith Hawton ,
Norman Kreitman ,
Joan Fagg  and
Jean Foster
Stephen Platt
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Edinburgh, and the Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Keith Hawton
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Edinburgh, and the Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Norman Kreitman
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Edinburgh, and the Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Joan Fagg
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Edinburgh, and the Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Jean Foster
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry Edinburgh, and the Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

This is a report of clinical and epidemiological trends in parasuicide in Edinburgh and Oxford over the period 1976 to 1984. Rates of parasuicide declined in both cities, but more markedly among women than men. Male rates tended to be higher in Edinburgh and female rates higher in Oxford. Age-specific rates were similar for the two cities in 1983–84, with peak rates for females among 15–19 year olds and those for males among 20–24 year olds in Edinburgh and 25–34 year olds in Oxford. Parasuicide incidence was higher in lower social class groups and among the unemployed in both cities. During the study period there was a massive decline in barbiturate overdoses, a more modest decline in minor tranquillizer overdoses but, in Oxford, a marked increase in self-poisoning with paracetamol. By the end of the study period the proportion of patients receiving a diagnosis of drug addiction had doubled in Edinburgh, although it had remained fairly constant in Oxford. There were differences in patterns of aftercare offered to patients in the two cities; these almost certainly reflect differing clinical policies.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , May 1988 , pp. 405 - 418
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aitken, R. C. B., Buglass, D. & Kreitman, N. (1969). The changing pattern of attempted suicide in Edinburgh, 1962–67. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine 23, 111–115.Google Scholar
Alderson, M. R. (1974). Self-poisoning – what is the future? Lancet i, 1040–1043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alderson, M. R. (1985). National trends in self-poisoning in women. Lancet i, 974–975.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, R J & Nelder, J. A. (1978). The GLIM System (Release 3) Manual. Numerical Algorithms Group: Oxford.Google Scholar
Bancroft, J., Skrimshire, A., Reynolds, F., Simkin, S. & Smith, J. (1975). Self-poisoning and self-injury in the Oxford area: epidemiological aspects 1969–73. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine 29, 170–177.Google Scholar
Brewer, C. & Farmer, R. (1985). Self-poisoning in 1984: a prediction that didn't come true [letter]. British Medical Journal 290, 391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buglass, D. & Duffy, J. C. (1978). The ecological pattern of suicide and parasuicide in Edinburgh Social Science and Medicine 12, 241–253.Google Scholar
Chowdhury, N., Hicks, R. C. & Kreitman, N. (1973). Evaluation of an aftercare service for parasuicide (attempted suicide) patients. Social Psychiatry 8, 67–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crepet, P. (1986). Suicide and attempted suicide: new trends and correlations in Italy. Background paper presented to WHO (EURO) Working group on Preventive Practices in Suicide and Attempted Suicide, York, 22–26 September.Google Scholar
Diekstra, R. F. W. (1982). Epidemiology of attempted suicide in the EEC. Bibliotheca Psychiatrica (Basel) 162, 1–16Google Scholar
Fienberg, S. E. (1977). The Analysis of Cross-Classified Categorical Data. MIT Press. Boston, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Forster, D.P & Frost, C. E. B. (1985). Medicinal self-poisoning and prescription frequency. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 71, 567–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibbons, J. S., Elliot, J., Urwin, P. & Gibbons, J. L. (1978 a). The urban environment and deliberate self-poisoning: trends in Southampton. Social Psychiatry 13, 159–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibbons, J. S., Butler, J., Urwin, P. & Gibbons, J. L. (1978 b). Evaluation of a social work service for self-poisoning patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 133, 111–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawton, K. & Rose, N. (1986). Unemployment and attempted suicide among men in Oxford. Health Trends 18, 29–32.Google Scholar
Hawton, K., Gath, D. & Smith, E. (1979). Management of attempted suicide in Oxford British Medical Journal ii, 1040–1042CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawton, K., Bancroft, J., Catalan, J., Kingston, B., Stedeford, A. & Welch, N. (1981) Domiciliary and outpatient treatment of self-poisoning patients by medical and non-medical staff. Psychological Medicine 11, 169–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawton, K., Fagg, J., Marsack, P. & Wells, P. (1982). Deliberate self-poisoning in the Oxford area: 1972–1980. Social Psychiatry 17, 175–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henderson, A. S. & Williams. C. C. (1974). On the prevention of parasuicide. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 8, 237–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holding, T. A., Buglass, D., Duffy, J. C. & Kreitman, N. (1977). Parasuicide in Edinburgh – a seven-year review, 1968–74. British Journal of Psychiatry 130, 534–543CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, D. I. R. (1977). Self-poisoning with drugs the past 20 years in Sheffield. British Medical Journal i, 28–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreitman, N. (1976). The coal gas story: UK suicide rates, 1960–71. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine 30, 86–93.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N. (ed) (1977). Parasuicide. Wiley: London.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N. (1979). Reflections on the management of parasuicide. British Journal of Psychiatry 135, 275–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAleer, J. J., Murphy, G. J., Taylor, R. H., Moran, J L. & O'Connor, F. A. (1986). Trends in the severity of self-poisoning. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 79, 74–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, H. G. (1979). Death Wishes? The Understanding and Management of Deliberate Self-Harm. Wiley: Chichester.Google Scholar
Noguera, R. (1986). Suicide and trends in deliberate self-harm in Spain. Background paper presented to WHO (EURO) Working Group on Preventive Practices in Suicide and Attempted Suicide, York, 22–26 September.Google Scholar
Office of Population Census and Surveys (OPCS). (1980). Classification of Occupations. HMSO: London.Google Scholar
Oliver, R. G., Kaminski, Z., Tudor, K. & Hetzel, B.S (1971). The epidemiology of attempted suicide as seen in the casualty department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. Medical Journal of Australia 1, 833–839.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platt, S. (1985). A subculture of parasuicide? Human Relations 38, 257–297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platt, S. (1986). Recent parasuicide trends in Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Scotland. Background paper presented to the WHO (EURO) Working Group on Preventive Practices in Suicide and Attempted Suicide, York, 22–26 September.Google Scholar
Platt, S. & Kreitman, N. (1984). Trends in parasuicide and unemployment among men in Edinburgh, 1968–82. British Medical Journal 289, 1029–1032.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Platt, S. & Kreitman, N. (1985). Parasuicide and unemployment among men in Edinburgh, 1968–82. Psychological Medicine 15, 113–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, A., Platt, S., Foster, J. & Kreitman, N. (1986). Parasuicide in Edinburgh 1985. A Report on Admissions to the Regional Poisoning Treatment Centre. MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry, Edinburgh (unpublished).Google Scholar
Sale, I., Williams, C. L., Clark, J & Mills, J. (1975). Suicide behaviour: community attitudes and beliefs. Suicide 5, 158–168Google Scholar
Scottish Health Statistics. HMSO: Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Shrimshire, A. M. (1976). A small-area analysis of self-poisoning and self-injury in the region of Oxford. Journal of Biosocial Science 8, 85–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, A. J. (1972). Self-poisoning with drugs: a worsening situation. British Medical Journal iv, 157–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, J.S & Davidson, K. (1971). Changes in the pattern of admissions for attempted suicide in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during the 1960s. British Medical Journal iv, 412–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, R. M. (1982). Parasuicide in an urban general practice, 1970–1979. Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 32, 273–281.Google Scholar
Weissman, M. M. (1974). The epidemiology of suicide attempts 1960–71. Archives of General Psychiatry 30, 737–746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weissman, M. M., Paykel, E. S., French, N., Mark, H., Fox, K. & Prusoff, B. (1973). Suicide attempts in an urban community 1955 and 1970. Social Psychiatry 8, 82–91.Google Scholar
Wexler, L., Weissman, M. & Kasl, S. (1978). Suicide attempts 1970–75: updating a US study and comparisons with international trends. British Journal of Psychiatry 132, 180–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar