Controlling Noncommunicable Diseases in Transitional Economies: Mental Illness in Suicide Attempters in Singapore—An Exploratory Analysis

Background. Mental illness is a pertinent risk factor related to suicide. However, research indicates there might be underdiagnosis of mental illness in Asian suicide attempters; this phenomenon is concerning. This study explored prediction of diagnosis of mental illness in suicide attempters in Singapore using available variables. Methods. Three years of medical records related to suicide attempters (N = 462) who were admitted to the emergency department of a large teaching hospital in Singapore were subjected to analysis. Of the sample, 25% were diagnosed with mental illness; 70.6% were females and 29.4% were males; 62.6% were Chinese, 15.4% Malays, and 16.0% Indians. Their age ranged from 12 to 86 (M = 29.37, SD = 12.89). All available variables were subjected to regression analyses. Findings. The full model was significant in predicting cases with and without diagnosis of mental illness and accurately classified 79% of suicide attempters with diagnosis of mental illness. Conclusions. The findings were discussed in regard to clinical implications in diagnosis and primary prevention.

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