FREQUENCY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN PATIENTS PRESENTING TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WITH SUICIDE ATTEMPT AT ABBASI SHAHEED HOSPITAL, KARACHI
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Keywords
Abuse, Attempt, Substance, Suicide, Prevalence
Abstract
Aim: To determine the frequency of substance abuse in patients presenting to the emergency department with suicide attempt at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi.
Methodology: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, in patients aged between 20-50 years presenting to the emergency department following a suicide attempt. This study consisted of 107 male and female patients. Inclusion criteria were patients' history of a suicide attempt and exclusion criteria were schizophrenia, mania, major depressive disorder, cognitive, personality disorder or prior suicide attempts. Data collection involved structured interviews and medical records review. Frequencies were calculated for types of substance abuse and the use of descriptive statistics. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0.
Results: The participants were 107 in numbers with a mean age of 36.53 years, comprising of (62) male: (45) female with gender distribution being (57.9%): (42.1%) respectively Mood disorders (32.7%) were the most common diagnosis followed by anxiety disorders (19.6%). Psychiatric disorders were present in 21.5% of the participants and 12.1% had a substance use disorder. Personality disorders occurred in 7.5%, schizophrenia in 6.5%, organic mental disorders in 2.8% and other psychotic disorders in 4.7%. There were 13 patients (12.1%) with a history of substance use.
Conclusion: The results indicated that a notable proportion of these patients had a history of substance use. Additionally, mood disorders were the most common diagnosis, followed by anxiety disorders, and a significant number of participants had various psychiatric disorders. These findings underscore the importance of addressing substance abuse as a critical factor in the management and prevention of suicide attempts.
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Dr. Marium Ahmed Khan
Postgraduate Trainee MBBS, FCPS, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital
Dr. Nadeem Iqbal
Assistant Professor MBBS, MCPS, FCPS Abbasi Shaheed Hospital
Sajid Atif Aleem
Lecturer MSc, MPhil, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
Kashan Majeed
Lecturer MSc, MS Jinnah Sindh Medical University