Suicidal behaviors and associated factors among patients attending an emergency department: a facility-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (ED) are an important site for screening patients with suicidal behaviors. However, there is insufficient data in low-and middle-income countries regarding the magnitude of suicidal attempts among patients attending EDs. Therefore, the present study aimed to screen suicidal behavior and factors associated with suicide in patients attending an ED of Addis Ababa Burn, Emergency and Trauma Hospital, Ethiopia. METHOD: A facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2018. A total of 398 participants were recruited using a consecutive sampling technique. The collected data collected includes structured questionnaires containing sociodemographic determinants, chronic medical illness conditions, substance use characteristics, social support level, common mental disorders (CMD) screening, suicidal behaviors assessment and suicidal attempts reason and method. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicidal behavior and suicidal attempts were 8% and 6.3%, respectively. Suicide was attempted most frequently in the 18-24 age group. There was no overall difference in sex distribution for suicidal attempts. However, there were sex-based differences when the age group was taken into consideration. The commonest underlying reason for the attempt was social reasons (44%), while the most frequently reported attempt method was hanging (36%). No single factor was found to be significantly associated with the suicidal attempt. CONCLUSION: Although suicidal behaviors are more common in patients attending the ED than in the general population, these facts have previously got little attention in patient attending EDs in low and middle income countries. The present findings support the need for a more detailed assessment of suicidal behaviours in patients attending ED and in patients with CMD.

Family planning awareness, utilization and associated factors among women of reproductive age attending psychiatric outpatient care, a cross- sectional study, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Women with mental illness have a special need for family planning as they carry a high risk of unplanned pregnancy, sexual violence and, the poor obstetric outcomes due to their mental illness, as well as teratogenicity from exposure to psychotropic medications lower antenatal care utilization. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge, and utilization of family planning and associated factors among women attending psychiatric outpatient clinics in Addis Ababa. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 women attending the outpatient psychiatric clinics of three general and one specialized mental hospital in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. A structured and pretested questionnaire were administered by psychiatric nurses. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with utilization of family planning methods. RESULT: Four hundred twenty-two participants who had follow up at the psychiatric outpatient departments participated in the study. Almost 88% of participants had an unintended pregnancy. Only 68% of study participant had ever heard about Family planning. Just over one third (38.6%) reported current use of at least one method of Family planning. Of those not using family planning 73.3% had no intention to have children. And 38.8% did not have any intention to use Family Planning in the future. Fear of drug-interaction with psychiatric medication was the most common reason not to use contraceptives. Having one or two children was associated with higher utilization of family planning [adjusted odds ratio (95%, confidence interval) 2.05 (1.06, 3.99)]. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the majority of women with mental illness were not using family planning methods. The Awareness of the Family planning methods is lower than the national average. Education and counselling about family planning for women attending psychiatric outpatient departments should be strengthened.