Mortality and Causes of Death in a 10-Year Follow-Up of Patients Treated for Self-Poisonings in Oslo

The present 10-year follow-up study includes all patients (N = 926; 50% females) treated in the medical departments in Oslo for self-poisonings during one year (1980). Seventeen percent were considered suicidal attempts upon admission, 25% among the non-substance abusers and 8% among the abusers. At follow-up, 207 patients (22%) were dead (62% males). The mortality rate was highest among the abusers. The most common causes of death were suicide (21%), heart disease (17%), opiate abuse (15%), and accidents/wounds (13%). Forty-one percent of the suicides occurred during the first two years of the follow-up period. The suicides were by poisoning (57%), hanging (20%), and other methods (23%). The female mortality rate decreased in the second half of the follow-up period whereas the male rate did not change. The risk of death within 10 years after discharge increased with age and was higher in men and in abusers, whereas social group and motive for suicide were not predictive factors. The females had an excess suicide rate of 182 (36–327, 95% CI) in the first year after the self-poisoning and 61 (36–87, 95% CI) in the total period. The corresponding figures for males were 70 (19–122) and 21 (12–30). The only factor associated with an increased suicide rate was a suicidal motive upon the admission for self-poisoning with a 3.1 (1.7–5.8, 95% CI) times increased risk of suicide in the 10-year follow-up period.