Life Events, Social Support, Coping Strategies and Quality of Life in Attempted Suicide - A Case Control Study
Abstract
Background: Deliberate self harm is a major issue in the health care all over the world. Though it encompasses a wide variety of medical and social disciplines some of the important psychosocial variable such as life events, social support, coping strategies and quality of life have not yet been explored in depth in India.
Aims: To analyze and compare the type and severity of life events, coping strategies, social support and quality of life of suicide attempters versus matched normal controls and to identify the risk factors leading to suicide.
Method: 50 consecutive suicide attempters were compared with same number of age, sex and martial status matched healthy controls using Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale, Social Support Questionnaire, AECOM Coping Style Scale and WHO QOL – Bref.
Results: Suicide attempters experienced significantly more life events especially untoward events where as the control group experienced more desirable and impersonal life events. Social support, positive coping behaviours and of QOL were significantly lower in attempters. Among all risk factors desirable life events, good education and good social support were found to be protective against suicide.
Conclusions: Suicide attempters were differentiated from healthy controls based on more stressful life events, lower social support, less healthy coping behaviours and poor QOL. Positive life events, good education and good social support were found to be protective factors against suicide. However, it is difficult to pinpoint a single factor responsible for suicidal behaviour. It is the complex interplay of various interrelated factors and the resultant buffering effect, which is protecting the individual against deliberate self harm.
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