Deliberate Self harm- A Hospital based cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Self-harm is a growing concern especially among the teenagers and young adults. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury is defined as intentional destruction of one’s body tissue without suicidal intent.Material and methods: A 2 years’ retrospective studyfrom January 2021 to December 2022 comprising of 434 cases of deliberate self-harm that presented at the Trauma center of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, A.M.U, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.Results: Total 434 cases of self-harm were examinedin which 297 were males while 137 were females.Most of the survivors were from age groups 19-30 years (26.5%) and belonged to rural areas 291 (67.1%). The most common method used for self-harm was taking poison or medicinal drugs (80.9%).Conclusion: A significant proportion of suicide attempts are impulsive, solitary efforts that are often the result of interpersonal conflicts which can be avoided by supportive communication with the patient.Keywords: Self harm, Suicide, Poisoning, Hanging, Cut throat.