Patients Who Self-Harm Have Shorter Life Expectancy

Researchers reported today that people who self-harm have an increased risk of premature death. As published online in Lancet, they studied patients of all ages presenting to emergency departments in Oxford, Manchester, and Derby, England, after self-poisoning or self-injury from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2007. Patients were followed up to the end of 2009.

Of the 30,950 individuals who presented with self-harm, 1,832 (6.1 percent) died before the end of follow-up. Death was more likely in patients than in the general population and occurred more in males than females. Deaths due to...

read more...

Published By: Psychiatric News - Tuesday, 18 September