Eventual Suicide in Interrupted & Uninterrupted Attempters: A Challenge to the Cry-for-Help Hypothesis

499 patients hospitalized for suicide attempts between 1970 and 1975 were followed until 1982; of this group, 28 eventually completed suicide. Six of the 41 patients who had been interrupted during their initial attempts eventually completed suicide, whereas only 22 of the 458 patients who had not been interrupted eventually completed suicide. The interrupted attempters were approximately 3 times more likely to complete suicide than the uninterrupted attempters.