The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 266-272. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.048595
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Self-harm in UK armed forces personnel: descriptive and case–control study of general hospital presentations

Keith Hawton, DSc, Louise Harriss, MSc, Deborah Casey, BSc and Sue Simkin, BA

Centre for Suicide Research, University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford

Kate Harrison, PhD, Isabelle Bray, PhD and Nick Blatchley, BSc

Defence Analytical Services and Advice (Health Information), Ensleigh, Bath, UK

Correspondence: Keith Hawton, Centre for Suicide Research, University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK. Email: keith.hawton{at}psych.ox.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

K. Harrison, I.B. and N.B. work for the Defence Analytical Services Agency, an agency of the Ministry of Defence (until March 2008, after which it was re-absorbed into the Ministry of Defence). The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the Ministry of Defence or Her Majesty's Government.

Background

Little is known about self-harm in the armed forces.

Aims

To investigate the characteristics of armed forces personnel presenting to a general hospital following self-harm and compare these with matched controls who had self-harmed.

Method

Investigation of armed forces personnel presenting to hospital between 1989 and 2003 following self-harm and case–control comparison with people in the general population who had self-harmed.

Results

One hundred and sixty-six armed forces personnel presented with self-harm during the study period, of whom 72.3% (120) were male. Nearly two-thirds (62.7%) were aged under 25 years. Relationship problems (62.0%), employment problems (43.9%) and alcohol misuse (40.5%) were common. Fewer armed forces personnel than controls had evidence of current or past psychiatric disorders or treatment or a prior history of self-harm, and their suicidal intent was lower (males only). Of 64 people in the armed forces who presented during the first 9 years of the study period, 1 had died (from natural causes) by the end of 2000, compared with 9 (5.1%) of the controls, 6 by probable suicide.

Conclusions

Self-harm by armed forces personnel may often be a response to interpersonal and employment problems complicated by alcohol misuse, with relatively low suicide intent.