PREVALENCE And ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF SUICIDAL IDEATION And ATTEMPTS AMONG MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS AT ST. PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENNIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE, IN ADDIS ABEBA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Abstract Background: There is a big difference between thinking about suicide and acting it out. Some persons may have ideas of suicide, but they will never act on. Some plan for days, weeks, or even years before acting, whereas others take their lives seemingly on impulse without advance planning. Every year, more than 800,000 people die due to suicide (one person every 40 s) ranking as the second leading cause of death next to traffic accidents among 15–29 years of age. The most common method to attempt suicide in children and adolescents is the use of hanging, poisoning, slashing, and shooting. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation and attempts among mentally ill patients at outpatient department of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed and conducted from December/2019 to January/2020. Data was collected using consecutive sampling technique until the required sample size was achieved the total sample size of 385. It also collected by psychiatry nurse. To collect the data we use Suicidal Behavavior Quistionnare Revised (SBQ-R) with modification, Oslo scale and self prepared questionnaire were interviewer administered. Pretest was made on 5% of sample size at St. Peter Hospital and identified problems were amended accordingly. The data collectors were supervised daily and filled questionnaire was checked daily. Variables having P-value of less than 0.05 was used to determine significance. The collected data were coded and entered in the computer using Epi info version 7.2.1.0 software, exported to and analyzed using SPSS version 23 for cleaning and analysis. Result: A total of 385 patients were participated in the study. Of these 216 (56%) were males. Their age ranges from 18 to 85 years old. The prevalence of suicide ideation was 255 (66.2%). The finding from multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that felt hopeless had 2.79 times more likely risk for suicide ideation and attempts than those not felt hopeless. Which is [AOR=2.79, 95% CI (1.11, 6.98)]. Similarly risk factors like family history of mental illness [AOR= 1.94, 95% CI (1.12, 3.36)], family history of suicide [AOR= 2.44, 95% CI (1.17, 5.08)], stopping of medication [AOR= 2.56, 95% CI (1.00, 6.53)] and primary and secondary education of participants [AOR =5.86, 95% CI (1.30, 26.41) and AOR=3.61, 95% CI (1.01, 12.88)] respectively had appositive association with suicidal ideation and attempts. Conclusion and Recommendation: As the findings of this study showed the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt were found to be significant among patients with mental illnesses. Additionally, this public health important problem is found to be more common among male X | Page patients than females. Being hopeless, family history of mental illness, family history of suicide, stopping medications and education level of study participants were found to be factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among patients with mentally illness. Thus, early detection of likely causes of suicidal attempts and ideation as well as subsequent timely interventions such as health education and social supports can play paramount roles for preventing suicide among patients with mental illness. Keywords: Suicidal ideation, Suicidal attempts, Risk factors