Suicide Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Suicide, including details on depression, causes, prevention, treatment, help.

Psychological evaluation of self-inflicted burn patients: suicide or parasuicide?

Zor F, Deveci M, Bozkurt M, Dikkatli S, Duman H, Sengezer M

Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 06018 Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.

Self-inflicted burns have an increasing incidence all around the world. There is a high mortality and morbidity rate among these patients. We retrospectively analysed the psychiatric characteristics of self-inflicted burn patients. The results showed that these attempts are somewhat different from suicidal acts and may be defined as parasuicides. The treatment and rehabilitation strategies of so called parasuicidal burns are discussed.

Published 1 February 2005 in Burns, 31(2): 178-81.
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