Psychiatric features of seriously life-threatening suicide attempters: a clinical study from a general hospital in Japan.

OBJECTIVE Although attempted suicide is one of the strongest predictors of completed suicide, few Japanese studies have described psychiatric differences between those who attempt suicide by overdose (OD) and those who use more violent methods (MV). METHODS A total of 22 consecutively admitted MVs were compared to 78 ODs. All patients were referred for psychiatric evaluation during the same 3-year period. RESULTS The MV group was predominantly male (68%), whereas the OD group was predominantly female (72%). Using DSM-IV criteria, depressive disorders were most common in both groups, followed by psychotic disorders. The OD group had significantly more borderline patients. Contrary to previous reports, prior psychiatric contact was low in the MV group. MVs were more likely to complain of financial problems and to retain a definite wish to die after the attempt. CONCLUSIONS This study identified meaningful differences between the two groups of patients who attempted suicide.