
Research view
Title: | Assessment of coping strategies in a sample of risky suicidal Egyptian psychiatric outpatients |
Author: | Zeinab Sarhan, Mohsen Askar, Fadia Zyada and Doaa Reyad |
Abstract: |
Objective
To assess coping strategies in a sample of risky suicidal Egyptian psychiatric
outpatients.
Participants and methods
A total of 150 patients were selected from the psychiatry outpatient clinic; all patients
were diagnosed according to the ICD-10 research diagnostic criteria. Patients were
subjected to the Tool for the Assessment of Suicide Risk (TASR) and the Coping
Inventory.
Results
The mean age of the patients with a high suicide risk was 35.5 ± 12.1; 40% had been
diagnosed with an affective disorder, 27.3% with schizophrenia, schizotypal, and
delusional disorders, 10.7% with other mental disorders because of brain damage,
dysfunction, and physical disease, 8% with mental and behavioral disorders because
of psychoactive substance use, 6% with neurotic, stress-related and somatoform
disorders, 4.7% with disorders of adult personality and behavior, and 3.3% with other
psychiatric disorders including organic mental disorders (dementia) and mild mental
retardation. High and moderate risks of suicide were higher in men, 59.6 and 62.7%,
respectively. Patients with scholastic education and unemployed patients were found
to be significantly higher in both high and moderate suicide risk in comparison to
patients with high education and employed patients, respectively. A statistically
significant difference was found among single patients than separated, divorced, and
widowed groups on moderate TASR. The diagnosis of affective disorders and
schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders was significantly higher on
moderate and low TASR. Patients with a gradual/insidious onset scored significantly
higher on all three groups of TASR. The mean duration of psychiatric disorders for a
high suicide risk was 8.5 ± 8.16 years. Patients with a positive history of suicidal
attempts and those who had made violent suicidal attempts scored significantly higher
on both high and moderate suicide risk. Patients who had attempted one suicidal
attempt scored significantly higher in high, moderate, and low TASR scores. Patients
who used an active cognitive coping method scored significantly higher in high,
moderate, and low suicide risk scores compared with the avoidance coping method.
Conclusion
The most frequently used coping method was active cognitive coping; also, patients
showed a significantly higher suicide risk compared with the avoidance coping
method. A cognitive positive understanding strategy (a subtype of active cognitive
coping) scored significantly higher on high, moderate, and low suicide risk
in comparison with passive resignation.
Keywords:
coping, psychiatric patients, suicide risk
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Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2013, 34:177–185 |
Text: | |
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