OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of major depression in deliberate self-harm individuals. DESIGN: A cross sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Three tertiary health care centres in Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty seven deliberate self-harm consecutive subjects were recruited from July 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 for this study. Diagnostic procedures included complete medical history, physical and neurological examinations. The DSM-IV criterion for major depression was used for the diagnostic purpose. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The prevalence of major depression, number of attempts and recent life events, methods used, feeling in deliberate self-harm individuals. RESULTS: The prevalence of major depression was 20.7% (n=80, 95% CI=16.7-24.2) according to the DSM-IV criterion. Sixty-two percent (95% CI=57.2-66.8) of the subjects with DSH were aged < or = 30 years. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found between DSH subjects with and without major depression related to age, education, life events and number of previous attempts. CONCLUSION: The most predictive factors associated with DSH risks are age, depression, recent loss, divorced, loss of job and history of previous attempts. Further studies are needed to address some causes of DSH.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of major depression in deliberate self-harm individuals. DESIGN: A cross sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Three tertiary health care centres in Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty seven deliberate self-harm consecutive subjects were recruited from July 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 for this study. Diagnostic procedures included complete medical history, physical and neurological examinations. The DSM-IV criterion for major depression was used for the diagnostic purpose. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The prevalence of major depression, number of attempts and recent life events, methods used, feeling in deliberate self-harm individuals. RESULTS: The prevalence of major depression was 20.7% (n=80, 95% CI=16.7-24.2) according to the DSM-IV criterion. Sixty-two percent (95% CI=57.2-66.8) of the subjects with DSH were aged < or = 30 years. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found between DSH subjects with and without major depression related to age, education, life events and number of previous attempts. CONCLUSION: The most predictive factors associated with DSH risks are age, depression, recent loss, divorced, loss of job and history of previous attempts. Further studies are needed to address some causes of DSH.