Objective:

This study sought to analyze psychosocial factors (sociodemographic characteristics, primary diagnosis, method of the attempt, cognition, and behavior) in relation to the number of suicide attempts in patients with a diagnosed mental illness who received care at Hospital Mental de Antioquia, from 2014 to 2016. We also had the objective of evaluating the associative relationship of such factors in recurrence per attempt.

Methodology:

Cross-sectional study that analyzes the abovementioned association in 248 people with diagnosed mental disorders. To this end, we first describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile; then, a multivariate logistic regression model is constructed to assess the association of psychosocial factors with the risk of recurrence per attempt.

Results:

The population was mainly young (12-20 years old) and female (62.9%), with a recurrence rate of 40%. Among the most relevant findings, there is a higher proportion of psychoactive substance use and low family/social support in patients with four episodes compared to those with one attempt. Predictors explaining the risk of suicide attempt recurrence were recurrent depression, little psychiatric follow-up, and the use of less lethal methods (wrist cutting).

Conclusion:

These results are key in the context of suicide prevention, as they identify factors that contribute to an increased number of suicide attempts and their recurrence, and they coincide with the time window for beginning surveillance of events in the Colombian system.

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