Factors Related to Suicide Attempts by Poisoning in Iranian Children Seghatoleslam Tahereh1, Farzaneh Esmaeil2, Rezaee Omidvar3, Sajadfar Fatemeh1, Mehrpour Omid4,* 1Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2Department of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran 3Department of Neurosurgery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 4Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran *Corresponding author: Omid Mehrpour, Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Pasdaran Avenue, Birjand University of Medical sciences, Birjand, Iran. E-mail: omid.mehrpour@yahoo.com.au, Tel and Fax: +985614440488
Online published on 21 February, 2013. Abstract Objective Suicide is a major health problem especially in children. Even a large proportion of healthy children have thought about suicide attempt. Some factors are suggested as risk factors for suicide attempt among children such as prior suicide attempt as the most important risk factor. This study was designed to find out why children attempt suicide. Methods In a descriptive study we assessed all the 6–15 years old children with suicide attempt referred to Loghman Hakim Poison Centre. For each child a questionnaire consisted of demographic information, family information and Children's Suicide Questionnaire were completed by 2 psychiatrists and 2 psychologists. Finding 292 children were evaluated with the mean age of 12 ±1.46 years old ranging from 6 to 15 years old. 81.8% of subjects were female and 18.2% were male. It demonstrates that a higher proportion of the cases reported a history of mental illness in the family (41%). The survey of CSQ information indicated that 28% of the cases suffered from depression and 27.1% had an epileptic seizure. Family argument was present in 36.6% of the cases. 85.4% of the children attempted suicide by using pharmaceutical drugs and 55.5% of suicide attempts were at 6 p.m. to 12 p.m. Conclusion Mental or physical illness, living with a mentally ill family member, residing in an economically deprived neighborhoods and lack of access to proper psychiatric care in combination can induce a suicidal attempt so a multidisciplinary approach is necessary in evaluating a suicide attempt in a child. Top Keywords Children, Suicide, Iran. Children's Suicide Questionnaire. (CSQ). Top |