Suicide by poisoning in Pakistan: review of regional trends, toxicity and management of commonly used agents in the past three decades.
| Autor: | Safdar M; Department of Forensic Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Pakistan., Afzal KI; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA., Smith Z; Department of Psychology, Loyola University, Illinois, USA., Ali F; Department of Forensic Medicine, CMH Multan Institute of Medical Sciences, Pakistan., Zarif P; Department of Forensic Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Pakistan., Baig ZF; Department of Medicine, CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | BJPsych open [BJPsych Open] 2021 Jun 17; Vol. 7 (4), pp. e114. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jun 17. |
| DOI: | 10.1192/bjo.2021.923 |
| Abstrakt: | Background: Suicide is one of the leading mental health crises and takes one life every 40 seconds. Four out of every five suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Despite religion being a protective factor against suicide, the estimated number of suicides is rapidly increasing in Pakistan. Aims: Our review focuses on the trends of suicide and means of self-poisoning in the past three decades, and the management of commonly used poisons. Method: We searched two electronic databases (PubMed and PakMediNet) for published English-language studies describing agents used for suicide in different regions of Pakistan. A total of 46 out of 85 papers (N = 54 747 cases) met our inclusion criteria. Results: Suicidal behaviour was more common among individuals younger than 30 years. Females comprised 60% of those who attempted suicide in our study sample, although the ratio of completed suicides favoured males. There were regional trends in the choice of agent for overdose. Organophosphate poisoning was reported across the nation, with a predominance of cases from the agricultural belt of South Punjab and interior Sindh. Aluminium phosphide ('wheat pills') was a preferred agent in North Punjab, whereas paraphenylenediamine ('kala pathar') was implicated in deaths by suicide from South Punjab. Urban areas had other means for suicide, including household chemicals, benzodiazepines, kerosene oil and rat poison. Conclusions: Urgent steps are needed, including psychoeducational campaigns on mental health and suicide, staff training, medical resources for prompt treatment of self-poisoning and updated governmental policy to regulate pesticide sales. |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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