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Attempted Suicide in Young Women: Correlates of Lethality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Robert D. Goldney
Robert D. Goldney*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5001, South Australia
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Summary

One hundred and ten young women aged 18 to 30 years who had attempted suicide by drug overdose were divided into three groups on the basis of the physical threat to life of their suicide attempt. Young women whose suicide attempts resulted in the greatest risk to life were more often unmarried or not in a de facto relationship; reported little use of alcohol; had had recent contact with a psychiatrist; had taken more than 20 tablets or capsules, most often antidepressants; and had a high degree of suicidal intent and hopelessness. Furthermore, there were trends for them to be of high socio-economic status; to have had less history of violence, both used and sustained; to more often demonstrate schizoid personality traits; and to report less death anxiety.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 139 , Issue 5 , November 1981 , pp. 382 - 390
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1981 

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