Psychosocial therapy and causes of death after deliberate self-harm: a register-based, nationwide multicentre study using propensity score matching

Johannes Birkbak, E A Stuart, B D Lind, Ping Qin, E Stenager, K J Larsen, August G. Wang, A C Nielsen, C M Pedersen, J-H Winsløv, C Langhoff, C Mühlmann, M Nordentoft, Annette Erlangsen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial therapy after deliberate self-harm might be associated with reduced risk of specific causes of death.

METHOD: In this matched cohort study, we included patients, who after an episode of deliberate self-harm received psychosocial therapy at a Suicide Prevention Clinic in Denmark between 1992 and 2010. We used propensity score matching in a 1:3 ratio to select a comparison group from 59 046 individuals who received standard care. National Danish registers supplied data on specific causes of death over a 20-year follow-up period.

RESULTS: At the end of follow-up, 391 (6.9%) of 5678 patients in the psychosocial therapy group had died, compared with 1736 (10.2%) of 17 034 patients in the matched comparison group. Lower odds ratios of dying by mental or behavioural disorders [0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.79], alcohol-related causes (0.63, 95% CI 0.50-0.80) and other diseases and medical conditions (0.61, 95% CI 0.49-0.77) were noted in the psychosocial therapy group. Also, we found a reduced risk of dying by suicide as well as other external causes, however, not by neoplasms and circulatory system diseases. Numbers needed to treat were 212.9 (95% CI 139.5-448.4) for mental or behavioural disorders as a cause of death, 111.1 (95% CI 79.2-210.5) for alcohol-related causes and 96.8 (95% CI 69.1-161.8) for other diseases and medical conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that psychosocial therapy after deliberate self-harm might reduce long-term risk of death from select medical conditions and external causes. These promising results should be tested in a randomized design.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3419-3427
Number of pages9
JournalPSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
Volume46
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2016

Keywords

  • deliberate self-harm
  • mortality
  • preventive medicine
  • psychosocial therapy
  • suicide

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