New data on repetition of suicidal behavior

According to the literature, one in five people who attempt suicide would be at risk of reattempting

It is estimated that for every death by there are up to 25 attempts. Presenting a previous suicide attempt is a key risk factor for death by suicide.

New research carried out by the SURVIVE team and led by the Complutense University of Madrid has tried to clarify how many people reattempt suicide and what factors make repetition more likely.

To this mean, a systematic review and meta-analysis of all research up to 2022 addressing this topic was conducted. It was found that one in five people admitted to hospital for suicide attempt would repeat it. Some important risk factors were: being a woman,having attempts associated with sharp objects or having different mental health diagnoses. On the other hand, receiving psychotherapy significantly reduced reattempts.

Not everyone who attempts suicide will do so repeatedly, and effective preventive treatments can help those in need.

Original paper: de la Torre-Luque, A., Pemau, A., Ayad-Ahmed, W., Borges, G., Fernandez-Sevillano, J., Garrido-Torres, N., ... & SURVIVE Consortium. (2023). Risk of suicide attempt repetition after an index attempt: a systematic review and meta-analysis. General hospital psychiatry.