Summary
Summary Deliberate self harm and poisoning
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This document looks at the causes and effects of DSH and DSP. IT provides examples of what constitutes self harm and the psychological effects
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Poisoning refers to the development of dose-related adverse effects following exposure tochemicals, drugs, or other xenobiotics through inhalation, ingestion, skin or eye contact, or
inoculation. The dose makes the poison.
Includes those who engaged in deliberate self-poisoning with an intent to die as well as
those with no intent to die.
Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an act
with a nonfatal outcome in which an individual deliberately ingests a substance in excess of the
prescribed or generally recognized therapeutic dosage. DSP and deliberate self-injury are
subcategories of deliberate self-harm.
DSP is the most common method of suicide attempt in developed countries and has been
associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Deliberate self-harm (DSH) describes a situation where a person with apparent consciousness and
willful intent performs painful, destructive and injurious acts upon his/her own body. An act with
non-fatal outcome, in which an individual deliberately initiates a non-habitual behaviour that,
without intervention from others, will cause self-harm, or deliberately ingests a substance in excess
of the prescribed or generally recognised therapeutic dosage, and which is aimed at realising
changes which the subject desired via the actual or expected physical consequences (WHO)
In South Africa, deliberate self-poisoning occurs commonly amongst black females of child-
bearing age, belonging to the working class and residing in areas with greater likelihood for
psycho-socio-economic problems.
Motives for deliberate self-harm
Although the terms motive and intent are often used as synonyms in suicide literature, it is clinically
and theoretically useful to differentiate between these constructs. A motive is the underlying ‘cause
or reason that […] induces action’.10 In contrast, intent describes the planned or desired outcome of
the action taken. A motive is the psychological driver or reason to self-harm, whilst intent
describes the desired outcome of DSH.
Some of the motives for self-harm or self-poisoning include
Financial concerns
Marital/romantic relationship issues
Family conflict
Illness (medical or psychiatric)
Bereavement
Academic concerns
Unplanned pregnancy
The use of rat poison in South Africa
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