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Description
Background: Suicide is a self-inflicted or deliberate act of ending one's life. A suicide attempt is a non-fatal, self-initiated, intentional injury. Suicide is a significant public health problem in Ethiopia. This assessment investigated suicidal acts, its associated factors, and community perceptions towards suicide.
Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the status of suicidal acts and community perception among clients visiting emergency outpatient departments in public hospitals of the Amhara region, Ethiopia, from 2023 to 2024.
Methods: An institutional retrospective, cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted in Emergency Departments of public hospitals. A multistage random sampling method was used to select the study hospitals. A total of 565 suicide acts who visited Emergency Outpatient Department (EOPD) between June 2023 and 2024 were analyzed. Community perceptions were assessed via 6 KIIs, 5 FGDs, and 5 IDIs. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative data.
Result: Of 565 suicidal acts analyzed, this study found an 8.14% fatality rate and 11.7% unknown outcomes. The cases were predominantly young, with an average age of 26 and 78.4% being between 11 and 30 years old. Most individuals (63%) were female. The primary method used was ingestion of readily available agrochemicals, accounting for 83% of cases. Conflicts between individuals in a relationship were the leading suspected cause, representing 65.6% of incidents. The health facility response was hindered by inadequate infrastructure, limited resources, and workforce shortages. Essential antidotes, pharmacological supplies, and laboratory equipment were also lacking. Furthermore, no Suicide Information and Control Center (PICC) was present. Only 60% of hospitals conducted clinical audits, and a similar proportion of patients lack integrated medical and psychological treatments.
Implication and recommendation: High death rates and unknown outcomes demand better prevention and data tracking by health facilities. Youth aged 11–30 face the highest suicide risk, requiring targeted mental health support. Adequate health care provider training and tighter agrochemical controls should be urgently implemented by the Regional Health Bureau.
