Attempts to Commit Suicide and Suicidal Thoughts: a Comparative Study…(IN: Suicidal Behaviour in Europe: Recent Research Findings, edited by P Crepet et al)

The goal of this study was to compare two populations defined and extracted on the basis of psychiatric emergencies treated at a general hospital. The idea underlying this study comparing patients who have attempted to commit suicide with others is that suicide attempts can be treated as individual entities that can be accompanied by clinical elements and specific characteristics. Data discerning particular characteristics of suicidal behaviour on epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and pronostic levels is highlighted by comparing it with patients coming in for emergency consultations because of symptomatology including suicidal thoughts. (10 refs)