Unmasking depression in persons attempting suicide

Figures & data

Table 1: Socio-demographic characteristics of participants (N = 688) –(data reproduced from Naidoo SS, Schlebusch L. Sociodemographic and Clinical profiles of suicidal patients requiring admission to hospitals south of Durban. S Afr Fam Pract 2013; 55(4):373–379.)

Variable	Male		Female		Total
	n	%	n	%	N	%
Race/ethnicity:
Black	33	4.8	127	18.5	160	23.3
Coloured	25	3.6	81	11.8	106	15.4
Indian	101	14.7	275	40.0	376	54.7
White	13	1.9	32	4.6	45	6.5
Non-disclosure	0	0	1	0.1	1	0.1
Age (years):
<20	26	3.8	170	24.7	196	28.5
20–29	85	12.3	172	25.0	257	37.3
30–39	38	5.5	87	12.7	125	18.2
40–49	17	2.5	58	8.4	75	10.9
50–59	5	0.7	24	3.5	29	4.2
>59	1	0.1	4	0.6	5	0.7
Non-disclosure	0	0	1	0.1	1	0.1
Marital status:
Single	113	16.4	337	49.0	450	65.4
Married	42	6.1	135	19.6	177	25.7
Widowed	4	0.6	8	1.2	12	1.7
Divorced/Separated	13	1.9	36	5.2	49	7.1
Family type:
Nuclear	134	19.5	412	59.9	546	79.4
Extended	21	3.1	60	8.7	81	11.8
Living alone	11	1.6	16	2.3	27	3.9
Other	6	0.9	27	3.9	33	4.8
Non-disclosure	0	0	1	0.2	1	0.2
Occupation:
Student	27	3.9	157	22.8	184	26.7
Unemployed	48	7.0	152	22.1	200	29.1
Professional	57	8.3	135	19.6	192	27.9
Labourer	31	4.5	48	7.0	79	11.5
Other	9	1.3	24	3.5	33	4.8
Income p.a. (rand):
<30 000	127	18.5	471	68.5	598	86.9
30 000–70 000	31	4.5	36	5.2	67	9.7
>70 000	12	1.7	7	1.0	19	2.8
Non-disclosure	2	0.3	2	0.3	4	0.6
Education:
Nil	4	0.6	16	2.3	20	2.9
Primary	107	15.5	330	48.0	437	63.5
Secondary	30	4.4	103	15.0	133	19.3
University	5	0.7	10	1.4	15	2.2
Other tertiary	25	3.6	56	8.1	81	11.8
Other	1	0.1	1	0.1	2	0.3
Religion:
Christianity	102	14.8	368	53.5	470	68.3
Hinduism	49	7.1	98	14.2	147	21.3
Islam	11	1.6	32	4.6	43	6.2
Other	10	1.4	16	2.3	26	3.8
Non-disclosure	0	0	2	0.3	2	0.3

Table 2: Past medical illnesses

		Total Participants (N = 688)
		Male (n = 172)		Female (n = 516)
		n	%	n	%
Longstanding physical illness/disability*	No	115	16.7	359	52.2
	Yes	56	8.1	153	22.2
	No answer	1	0.2	4	0.6
Type of long standing illness/disability	Psychiatric	13	1.9	23	3.3
	Medical	43	6.3	130	18.9
Physical illness/injury during the two weeks before*	No	149	21.7	453	65.8
	Yes	22	3.2	62	9.0
	No answer	1	0.2	1	0.2
Type of illness 2 weeks before	Psychiatric	7	1.0	23	3.3
	Medical	11	1.6	34	4.9
Physical health over last three months	Excellent	31	4.5	146	21.2
	Good	85	12.4	218	31.7
	Fair	33	4.8	100	14.5
	Poor	20	2.9	49	7.1
	No answer	3	0.4	3	0.4

Table 3: Objective assessment of mental and physical health

		Male (n = 172)		Female (n = 516)
		n	%	n	%
WHO Well-Being category	Normal	58	8.4	198	28.8
	Poor well-being (<13)	110	16.0	316	45.9
	No answer	4	0.6	2	0.3
Beck Depression category	None to mild	71	10.3	175	25.4
	Borderline clinical depression	19	2.8	59	8.6
	Moderate depression	43	6.2	144	20.9
	Severe depression	37	5.4	136	19.8
	No answer	2	0.3	2	0.3