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About the Authors:
Natalya S. Weber
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Preventive Medicine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
Jared A. Fisher
Affiliations Preventive Medicine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America, Allied Technology Group, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
David N. Cowan
Affiliations Preventive Medicine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America, Allied Technology Group, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
Teodor T. Postolache
Affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
Rakel A. Larsen
Affiliations Preventive Medicine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America, Allied Technology Group, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
David W. Niebuhr
Affiliations Preventive Medicine Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
Introduction
Suicide claims over one million lives worldwide each year [1]. In the United States, suicide rates have remained relatively constant over the last 20 years (1/10,000 yearly), and risk factors, such as old age, male gender, gun access, stressful life events, and substance abuse have been identified [2]–[6]. More than 90% of those who die by suicide have at least one diagnosed psychiatric disorder, with depression and substance abuse disorders being the most common [7]. Among those with certain psychiatric disorders, the lifetime risk of suicide can be as high as four to seven percent, with nearly 30% attempting suicide [8], [9].
There are nearly 25 suicide attempts for each suicide, and previous suicidal and non-suicidal self-directed violence is a strong predictor of death from suicide [3], [10]–[13]. While many studies have focused on suicides, the epidemiology of non-fatal self-directed violence is not well defined. Because hospitalizations with self-directed violence are an important target population for preventive measures, it is crucial that we understand the population and risk factors that may have contributed to their hospitalization.
Aims of the Study
In this cross-sectional study, we examined psychiatric disorders and demographic characteristics of hospitalizations with diagnoses of non-fatal...