Proportion and associated risk factors of psychiatric disorders among patients with suicidal attempts in outpatient department of National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka

Abstract

Suicide is the third most common cause of death worldwide and psychiatric disorder is an important cause of suicidal attempt or death by suicide. The study was aimed to find out the proportion of the different types of psychiatric disorders those who took suicidal attempt and to see the associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 98 patients attending the outpatient department of National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh between August and December of 2018 with a history of one or more suicidal attempts. The age range was 18 year and above. A Bangla questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic information and Diagnostical and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder-5 (DSM-5) was used to confirm the psychiatric disorder. Mean age± SD was 27.02±8.42 years, more suicidal attempts were found in females (62.2%), urban populations (57.1%) and nuclear families (73.5%). Among the participants, 35.7% studied up to SSC and 20.4% completed higher secondary. Housewives (35.7%) were more vulnerable to suicide. Mood disorders (depressive, bipolar and related disorders) (41.8%) and schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (21.4%) were more common and the mean duration of the untreated period was 2.36±2.68 years. The past history of suicidal attempts was 43.9%, and the family history of suicide was 17.3%. Both mood disorders and psychotic disorders were more common in rural area but personality disorders were mostly (16.1%, p=0.009) found in urban regions. Mood disorders were more common in joint families (57.7%, p=0.056) whereas psychotic disorders in nuclear family. This study finds out the proportion of psychiatric disorders that attempt to commit suicide, indicate the need for early and proper intervention and future large-scale research in this field. Bang J Psychiatry 2024; 38(1): 1-6