1Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya, India
2Consultant Psychiatrist and Ex. Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya, India
3Schizophrenia Research Foundation, R/7A, North Main Road, Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Online published on 30 October, 2017.
The purpose of the study was to explore the deliberate self-harm (DSH) in the North-Eastern part of India and to understand the pattern of occurrence to help improve early intervention strategies.
This is a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. After informed consent, 50 individuals admitted in the emergency department with DSH were assessed for psychological profile by a trained psychiatrist and pattern of DSH was recorded using a semi-structured proforma.
Nearly 65% of the individuals were in the age group of 15–25 years and females were predominant compared to males (0.6 males/female). The maximum DSH attempts took place from 6:00 PM-6:00 AM. Chemical ingestion (44%) and medication overdose (24%) were the two most common modes of DSH. Nearly 20% of the individuals were intoxicated during the DSH attempt.
The results inform the pattern of DSH in the North-Eastern part of India and further research is needed to explore the pattern in detail for designing effective intervention strategies.
Mental Disorders, Stressors, North-Eastern India
