Background and Introduction to the Study (IN: Attempted Suicide in Europe: Findings from the Multicentre Study on Parasuicide by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, edited by A J F M Kerkhof et al)

This chapter provides the history of the project, lists participating research centres, & discusses use of the terms parasuicide & attempted suicide. Project purposes: assess feasibility of using local case registers to monitor parasuicide; estimate true incidence of medically treated parasuicides & trends over time, using standardized definitions & case-finding criteria; identify sociodemographic risk factors; & ascertain variations in patterns of treatment in different cultural contexts.