Suicide attempts by poisoning in Hanoi, Vietnam: methods used, mental problems, and history of mental health care.

The objective of this paper was to investigate methods of poisoning, presence of mental problems, and the rate of psychiatric care among suicide attempters in Vietnam. Three hundred and nine suicide attempters by poisoning admitted to Bach Mai Hospital's Poison Control Center were investigated by trained nurses and qualified psychiatrists. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess methods of suicide, presence of mental problems, and psychiatric care. The most common methods were poisoning by psychotropic drugs in urban, and pesticides in rural areas. ICD-10 confirmed disorders were present in 68% of the cases and 73% rated positive on SRQ-20. Most patients were not in contact with psychiatric care. Restrictions on availability and handling of drugs and pesticides should be reinforced. Better infrastructures are needed for identification and treatment of persons with mental disorders.