Self-poisoning in adolescents. Hospital admissions and deaths in the Oxford region 1980-85.

Linked hospital and death records for 10-20-year-olds admitted with a diagnosis of poisoning were analysed. Between 1980 and 1985 there was a significant decline in admission rates, which was mainly attributable to a decline among 16-20-year-old females. There was no evidence of a decline in the admission rates among 12-15-year-olds. Ten per cent of the study population had at least one further hospital admission for poisoning during the mean follow-up period of 3.6 years. Female admission rates were substantially higher than those in males but readmission rates, given a first admission, were similar. The death rate in the study cohort was significantly higher than would be expected in the general population of this age and nearly all the deaths were from violent or unnatural causes.