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Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa
Background: Hospital-based research provides important insight into the burden of suicide behaviour and methods used in deliberate self-harm (DSH). The information on methods used in DSH may be useful to plan suicide-related intervention and prevention programmes. We aimed to investigate the socio-d...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health
2019
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| _version_ | 1867613237249310720 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Pieterse, Deirdre |
| author2 | Hoare, Jacqueline |
| author_browse | Hoare, Jacqueline Pieterse, Deirdre |
| author_facet | Hoare, Jacqueline Pieterse, Deirdre |
| author_sort | Pieterse, Deirdre |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Background: Hospital-based research provides important insight into the burden of suicide behaviour and methods used in deliberate self-harm (DSH). The information on methods used in DSH may be useful to plan suicide-related intervention and prevention programmes. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the methods used in DSH at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical and treatment data were collected from 238 consecutive DSH patients who presented for emergency department treatment at the hospital. Univariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used to explore the associations between these variables and violent and non-violent method of DSH. Results: Self-poisoning was the most common method of self-harm (80.3%, n=191). Prescription medication was the most common form of self-poison (57.6%, n=137) while a large number of patients used the non-prescription medication paracetamol (40.9%, n=54). In the bivariate regression analysis, male gender, stating that the reason for DSH was to escape a situation and history of substance use were associated with violent method of DSH. Conclusion: This study contributes to emerging literature on methods used in DSH in South Africa. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of prescription medication commonly used in DSH. More research on the source of prescription medication and its relationship to DSH is needed. Limiting the quantity and reviewing the packaging of paracetamol available in supermarkets may be effective strategies of means restriction that could be adopted in South Africa. This study underscores the need for increased collaboration between the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health in providing substance use interventions to high-risk population groups. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/29695 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:57.328Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publisher | Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| publisherStr | Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/29695 Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa Pieterse, Deirdre Hoare, Jacqueline Louw, Kerry-Ann Liaison Mental Health Background: Hospital-based research provides important insight into the burden of suicide behaviour and methods used in deliberate self-harm (DSH). The information on methods used in DSH may be useful to plan suicide-related intervention and prevention programmes. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the methods used in DSH at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical and treatment data were collected from 238 consecutive DSH patients who presented for emergency department treatment at the hospital. Univariate analyses and a logistic regression model were used to explore the associations between these variables and violent and non-violent method of DSH. Results: Self-poisoning was the most common method of self-harm (80.3%, n=191). Prescription medication was the most common form of self-poison (57.6%, n=137) while a large number of patients used the non-prescription medication paracetamol (40.9%, n=54). In the bivariate regression analysis, male gender, stating that the reason for DSH was to escape a situation and history of substance use were associated with violent method of DSH. Conclusion: This study contributes to emerging literature on methods used in DSH in South Africa. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of prescription medication commonly used in DSH. More research on the source of prescription medication and its relationship to DSH is needed. Limiting the quantity and reviewing the packaging of paracetamol available in supermarkets may be effective strategies of means restriction that could be adopted in South Africa. This study underscores the need for increased collaboration between the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health in providing substance use interventions to high-risk population groups. 2019-02-19T13:48:47Z 2019-02-19T13:48:47Z 2018 2019-02-19T09:47:59Z Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695 eng application/pdf Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Liaison Mental Health Pieterse, Deirdre Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| title_full | Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| title_short | Factors associated with deliberate self-harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in South Africa |
| title_sort | factors associated with deliberate self harm method among patients in a tertiary hospital in south africa |
| topic | Liaison Mental Health |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29695 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pietersedeirdre factorsassociatedwithdeliberateselfharmmethodamongpatientsinatertiaryhospitalinsouthafrica |