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Deliberate self-poisoning in children and adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

S. Hmimou ,
S. Boukhorb ,
S. Irnat ,
F. Hadrya ,
N. Rhalem ,
M. A. Bellimam ,
A. Soulaymani ,
A. Mokhtari ,
R. Soulaymani-Bencheikh  and
H. Hami
S. Hmimou
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
S. Boukhorb
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
S. Irnat*
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
F. Hadrya
Affiliation:
2University Hassan First of Settat, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Health Sciences and Technologies Laboratory, Settat
N. Rhalem
Affiliation:
3Moroccan Poison Control Center
M. A. Bellimam
Affiliation:
4Forensic Institute of Royal Gendarmerie, Rabat, Morocco
A. Soulaymani
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
A. Mokhtari
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
R. Soulaymani-Bencheikh
Affiliation:
3Moroccan Poison Control Center
H. Hami
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Suicide is a significant global public health issue that has a severe impact on children and adolescents.

Objectives

This study examined the epidemiological features of self-poisoning events among these groups in Morocco.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data on intentional poisoning cases among children under 15 years of age and adolescents aged 15-19 years were analyzed. The Moroccan Poison Control Center has reported these cases over a period of 34 years.

Results

During the study period, 7,111 deliberate self-poisoning cases were documented among children and adolescents, representing 30% of all reported self-poisoning cases (out of a total of 23,711 cases with known ages). The vast majority of the cases (80.8%) involved females, indicating a significant female-to-male ratio of 4.2. The patients had a mean age of 16.05 ± 2.10 years. Notably, drugs were the predominant method of self-poisoning, comprising 51.7% of the cases, followed by pesticides at 31.3%. The symptoms of poisoning manifested with significant variation, contingent on the type of toxin involved, the amount ingested, and the time passed before medical care was administered. Of the 4,711 cases with known outcomes, 144 (3.06%) were fatal. Nonetheless, the outcomes were favorable for the remaining cases, with or without lasting sequelae.

Conclusions

The ongoing prevalence of suicide and suicide attempts among children and adolescents is a prominent issue in public health. Our research emphasizes the crucial necessity to address suicide, as it remains one of the primary causes of mortality in young individuals.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S791
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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