Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Intentional self‑harm in individuals referred to consultation liaison psychiatry services in a tertiary care hospital

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Haamid Ismail
. Sabreena Qadri
. Arshad Hussain
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intentional self‑harm (ISH) is one of the most important entities of consultation‑liaison
psychiatry. This study aimed to assess the clinical profile of individuals with intentional self‑harm
referred to consultation‑liaison (CL) psychiatric services in a tertiary care hospital.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a cross‑sectional hospital‑based study, in
which purposive sampling was done for sample selection. A total of 60 subjects of ISH referred for
evaluation in a tertiary care psychiatry hospital on specified days were recruited to the study after
obtaining informed consent. Demographic and clinical details such as the nature of the self‑harm
attempt, method of attempt, number of attempts, the reason for the attempt, and regret/remorse
about the attempt were documented using the semi‑structured proforma.
RESULTS: A total of 60 subjects were included in the study. About 80% of them were below the
age of 30 years. The majority (80%) were females, 65% were from a rural background, 56.7% were
married. The most common method of ISH was self‑poisoning. Interpersonal conflicts with family
members (50%), followed by interpersonal conflicts with the spouse/partner (21.7%) were the
commonest reason/precipitating factors that lead to intentional self‑harm. Also, 45% of our study
population did not have any diagnosable psychiatric illness at the time of assessment, and the most
common psychiatric diagnosis was personality disorders (20%).
CONCLUSION: Intentional self‑harm is common in young married females from rural backgrounds.
Self‑poisoning is the most common method of deliberate self‑harm. More than half of the individuals
were diagnosed with the psychiatric illness at presentation.

Keywords

Intentional self‑harm
personality disorder
self‑poisoning
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 12, Issue 7
August 2022
Pages 1-4

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