Correlates of Near-Fatal Deliberate Self-Harm in Qatar.

Résumé

There are few research studies from Arab countries on suicide since many cultural and religious factors influence reporting. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlates of near-fatal deliberate self-harm in Qatar. The study comprised a retrospective review of documented data of all patients with a suicide attempt admitted to the only Psychiatry Hospital in Qatar over a 12-month period. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the contributors to near-fatal deliberate self-harm. Out of 165 admissions with self-harm, 47 fulfilled criteria for near-fatal deliberate self-harm. The commonest methods were hanging followed by jumping from a height. The retrospective nature of the study meant a lot of valuable data was missing. Also, lethality scales were not used and thus could not be measured. Men over the age of 25 years, widowed or divorced, and/or with psychotic disorder were more likely to engage in near-fatal deliberate self-harm.