Table 5 Characteristics of physician-diagnosed suicide attempts and non-suicidal intentional self-harm treated in EDs

Variables from the medical record

Mean age (SD)^a

23.9 (12.9)

31.3 (16.0)

26.0 (12.7)

28.9 (14.7)

26.7 (12.4)

31.1 (14.7)

Female^a

55.1

49.6

59.4

60.0

59.5

66.0

Acute injury

77.6

73.3

62.5

54.3

97.5

94.6

Drug poisoning mechanism^b

16.3 (8)

49.6

5.0 (2.2–11.6)

34.4

57.7

2.6 (1.1–6.3)

7.4

65.0

23.1 (11.1–48.4)

Cut/pierce mechanism^b

59.2

24.4

0.2 (0.1–0.5)

53.1

26.3

0.31 (0.14–0.73)

72.7

16.7

.08 (0.04–0.13)

Suicidal ideation

24.5

77.1

10.4 (4.8–22.4)

50.0

92.6

12.5 (4.6–33.4)

32.2

69.5

4.8 (2.9–7.8)

Risk evaluation and used an assessment tool

59.2

63.4

65.6

65.1

39.2

47.5

Safety or counseling plan

71.4

79.8

93.8

94.3

77.7

89.2

Personal history of self-harm

46.9

59.5

56.3

55.4

66.9

54.2

0.58 (0.37–0.93)

Prior psychiatric hospitalization

32.7

33.1

–

27.4

29.8

38.9

Mental health therapy and/or medication

59.2

57.3

53.1

62.9

64.5

61.6

Blood alcohol 80 + mg/100 ml^†

7.1 (3)

22.1

3.7 (1.01–13.4)

–

16.3

–

12.3

4.1 (1.4–12.0)

Drugs other than alcohol

33.3

42.3

–

56.6

18.2

31.0

2 or more personal factors or circumstances

79.6

90.8

2.5 (1.02–6.3)

81.3

88.6

83.5

90.1

Variables from ED billing record

 Drug poisoning codes^b,c

n/a

n/a

37.5

69.2

3.7 (1.6–9.1)

–

61.6

26.1 (11.6–58.9)

 Cut/pierce codes^b,c

n/a

n/a

50.0

21.2

0.3 (0.1–0.7)

70.2

17.2

.09 (.05–.15)

 Suicidal ideation (R45.851 code)

n/a

n/a

–

24.5

21.5

18.2

 Personal history of self-harm (Z91.5 code)

n/a

n/a

–

13.1

6.6

4.9

 Unspecified suicide attempt (T14.91 code)

n/a

n/a

–

15.4

–

15.3

7.1 (2.1–23.7)

 Not discharged home^d

n/a

n/a

–

74.9

7.6 (3.1–20.0)

31.4

66.5

4.3 (2.7– 7.0)