The role of medication in suicide attempts in Switzerland

Background Drug use was assessed in the Multicenter WHO/Euro-Study on suicidal behaviour which collected data on suicide attempts performed from 2003–2005 in the center of Basle/Switzerland. Objective To specify on suicide attempts: If the methods of suicide attempts are known, then it's possible to influence the acessability of the various techniques to reduce the number of performed suicide attempts. Method Drug use (ICD-10 Codes X60-X64) were analysed in 795 suicide attempts, which correspond to almost 70% of all methods from suicide attempters in the three years of the study. Up to four parasuicidal methods of selfharming were registred. Results The majority of suicide attempters used one selfharming technique only, about one third of attempters combined two of them. Drug intoxication was detected more as twice as often in women as in men (389 vs. 159). The drugs commonly used for suicide attempts were benzodiazepines, antidepressants and neuroleptics (alone or in combination). Paracetamol was used in 6,5%.Women used benzodiazepines twice as often as men. In 80% of the cases the drugs were prescribed by a physician. Conclusion Drug availability should be controled more strictly. Specific education on pain symptoms as being part of a depressive disorder could help to reduce the pre-scription of analgetics instead of appropriate drugs. Physicians should use evidence based treatments, especially in the cure of depression and limit prescription of benzodiazepines.