DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i12.025

Pages: 3951-3955

Introduction: Self-poisoning or injury done to oneself irrespective to the purpose of the act is known as deliberate self- harm. It is associated with many factors like psychosomatic, biological, social factors and psychiatric disorders. It can be equally dangerous as suicide itself and sometimes more than that because of temporary or permanent disability caused to an individual. Aim: To study socio demographic profile and psychiatric morbidity among patients with deliberate self-harm. Methods: This study was conducted at SNMC and HSK, Bagalkot. This was a prospective case series study undertaken in patients admitted with history of deliberate self-harm. Study period was from June 15 2018 to August 15 2018. Materials: Sample size of 80 was calculated using open Epi software at 10% absolute precision and 95% confidence level. Socio demographic data was collected and participants were subjected to Brief psychiatry rating scale and Beck’s depression inventory. Results: There was a male predominance of patients with mean age of 29.26 years. 87.5% of patients had formal education and the majority 27.5% were house wives. Organophosphorus poisoning (33.75%) was the most common mode of deliberate self-harm. Depression was the most common associated psychiatric comorbidity. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that majority of patients with deliberate self-harm are from rural background and the act is triggered by stressors in life. Depression is the most common psychiatric morbidity. Appropriate preventive measures in at risk group can prevent deliberate self-harm and subsequent death.