van Zyl Petrus J J, Bantjes Jason, Breet Elsie, Lewis Ian
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
S Afr J Psychiatr. 2021 Jan 27;27:1524. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v27i0.1524. eCollection 2021.
Although there is a growing body of literature on the epidemiology of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in South Africa, comparatively few studies have investigated the motives for self-harm. No studies have investigated the motives for DSH in Cape Town.
The objective of the study was to identify the range of motives for DSH in Cape Town, and how these motives are associated with different socio-demographic factors, the severity of self-injury and levels of suicidal intent.
Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Data were collected from 238 consecutive patients presenting with DSH to the emergency department. The data were analysed by using bivariate and multivariate analyses.
Patients engaged in DSH for a range of motives. Interpersonal issues were the most common motive (70%), followed by financial concerns (22%). Male patients were twice as likely as female patients to report interpersonal motives for their self-harm. Patients who reported interpersonal issues were more likely to engage in methods of DSH that involved damage to body tissues. Patients without tertiary education were more likely to report academic concerns as a motive, and patients who reported psychiatric illness as motive for DSH were more likely to require medical interventions than those who did not.
This study contributes novel insights into the motives for DSH in the Cape Town context and provides the foundation for continued research on the subject. The study also gives impetus to the development of therapeutic interventions focussed on the motives for self-harm.
尽管关于南非蓄意自我伤害（DSH）流行病学的文献越来越多，但相对较少的研究调查了自我伤害的动机。尚无研究调查开普敦DSH的动机。
本研究的目的是确定开普敦DSH的动机范围，以及这些动机如何与不同的社会人口学因素、自我伤害的严重程度和自杀意图水平相关联。
南非开普敦的格罗特舒尔医院。
收集了238例连续到急诊科就诊的DSH患者的数据。采用双变量和多变量分析对数据进行分析。
患者进行DSH有多种动机。人际问题是最常见的动机（70%），其次是经济问题（22%）。男性患者报告人际动机进行自我伤害的可能性是女性患者的两倍。报告人际问题的患者更有可能采用涉及身体组织损伤的DSH方法。未接受高等教育的患者更有可能将学业问题作为动机，而将精神疾病作为DSH动机的患者比未报告的患者更有可能需要医疗干预。
本研究为开普敦背景下DSH的动机提供了新的见解，并为该主题的持续研究奠定了基础。该研究还推动了以自我伤害动机为重点的治疗干预措施的发展。
