Abstract

Objective: As with many psychiatric disorders, also suicide and suicide attempts are the major causes of mortality and morbidity in patients with adjustment disorder. Suicidal behaviors in patients with adjustment disorder were examined in this study.

Material and Methods: Medical records of 82 patients who were hospitalized in a university hospital and diagnosed with adjustment disorder according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria had been studied retrospectively throughout a year.

Results: 26.8% (n=22) of these patients were admitted to the clinic by suicide attempt. 68.1% (n=15) of the patients who attempted suicide, chose suicidal methods with a high chance of rescue/being rescued. Education levels of the patients were lower in the group with low chance of rescue/being rescued than the group with high chance of rescue/being rescued.

Conclusion: In the previous studies, the proportion of adjustment disorder patients who had suicide initiative or suicidal thoughts was reported as 25%. In this study, similar results were found. We think that suicidal attempts and suicidal thoughts were more common in adjustment disorder patients due to the population’s education level.

Key words: Adjustment disorder, suicide, inpatient, rescue/being rescued rate