To examine associations between current diagnostic profile, suicidal intent, functional impairment and history of deliberate self harm (DSH) and life events among patients admitted to a general hospital after an act of attempted suicide.

Participants (n = 86) were patients consecutively admitted to a general hospital emergency care unit over the inclusion period of 26 months after an act of attempted suicide. They were interviewed within 2 days using the EPSIS protocol, the MINI and SCID-II interviews and a range of scales measuring life events (Brugha's scale), depression (MADRS), alcohol abuse (AUDIT), substance abuse (DAST), suicidal intent (SIS) and functioning levels (GAF). Simple regression analyses (linear and logistic) and t-tests were used in data analyses.

Men [4.9(2.6)] reported significantly more life events than women [3.6(2.0)], t(47.7) = 2.2, p < .05. Functional impairment was inversely associated with the number of life events among men, explaining more than 25% of the variance, F = 10.2(1, 28), p < .01. Number of life events was not associated with any diagnostic group, mean scores of depression severity, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, suicidal intent or with a history of an act of DSH.

Not only did men report more life events, their functioning was also affected by number of life events, indicating vulnerability to psychosocial aspects beyond psychological or psychiatric aspects in men admitted to a general hospital after attempted suicide.