Etiology and Prevalence of Suicide Attempts in Ardabil Province, Iran

The current study aimed to investigate the etiology and prevalence of suicide attempts in Ardabil Province, Iran. The study population included all individuals who attempted suicide referring to the hospitals during one year. Of whom, 582 subjects were selected by a convenience sampling method. This research was descriptive, epidemiologic type. The study instruments included a questionnaire to measure the prevalence of suicide attempts and related characteristics. The obtained findings indicated that the prevalence of suicide attempts was higher among females and married individuals compared to males and single subjects. The suicide rate among housewives was higher than in other populations. Families with smaller people were more prone for attempting suicide. Besides, the rate of suicide was higher in high schools compared to other educational levels. Suicide attempt was more frequent in families by individuals with mental illnesses and those encountering family disputes, with drug poisoning as the most common method of a suicide attempt. Suicide attempts more commonly occurred in cities, in summer, and at night. Thus, appropriate interventions should be made at the level of families. Besides, greater attention should be paid to high school students and all individuals in the summer.