PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J. Ennis
TI  - Self-harm: 2. Deliberate nonfatal self-harm
DP  - 1983 Jul 15
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 121--125
VI  - 129
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/129/2/121.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/129/2/121.full
SO  - CMAJ1983 Jul 15; 129
AB  - The incidence of deliberate acts of self-harm, such as drug overdoses, has greatly increased in the past two decades. The term "suicide attempt" is really a misnomer. For most people who harm themselves the primary motivation is rarely to die. As well, there are many differences between self-harm patients and patients who have committed suicide. The former tend to be characterologically disturbed and socially disadvantaged. Intervention narrowly focused on suicide prevention will lead to lengthy hospital stays in high-risk cases and ineffective treatment for most self-harm patients, who tend not to comply with outpatient treatment. Crisis-oriented intervention with a brief hospital stay in all cases of self-harm may provide more effective assessment and management.