Kupferschmid, Stephan; Gysin-Maillart, Anja; Bühler, Salome; Steffen, Timur; Michel, Konrad; Schimmelmann, Benno G.; Reisch, Thomas (2013). Gender differences in methods of suicide attempts and prevalence of previous suicide attempts. Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, 41(6), pp. 401-405. Bern: Huber 10.1024/1422-4917/a000256
Full text not available from this repository.Objective: Suicide attempts are important predictors of completed suicide. Adolescents admitted to the emergency room of a large university hospital in Bern after a suicide attempt during the years 2004-2010 were prospectively assessed for methods of suicide attempt. Method: Adolescents (N = 257; 66.5% female; age 14-21 years), presenting after a suicide attempt, were assessed with the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide assessment tool. Results: Males more often used jumping from a high place (14% vs. 4.6% in females, p < .05) and less often intoxication (36% vs. 71.3%, p < .01). At least one previous suicide attempt was reported in 100 patients (44.4%; more females than males: Cramer-V = 0.21; p = .002). Of these, 35 adolescents did not present to this hospital or not at all for a previous suicide attempt. Conclusions: The present study is the first to examine methods of suicide attempts according to the ICD-10 X codes in this age group. Gender differences were observed. Because a relevant number of patients did not present to the same hospital or not at all for a previous suicide attempt, studies on pathways to care of adolescents after their first suicide attempt are important for early detection and intervention strategies.