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Injury risk in young psychiatric outpatients

An 11-year follow-up of 302 adolescents

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Abstract

Background

Studies investigating the association between injuries and mental health have mainly focused on mental health sequelae of injuries. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of physical injury hospitalisation and poisoning hospitalisation among adolescent psychiatric outpatients.

Subjects and methods

Data on 302 consecutively referred Finnish psychiatric outpatients aged 12–22 years (mean 16) were collected at treatment entry. The end-point of the average 11-year follow-up was death or end of follow-up on 31 December 2005. The main outcome variables were physical injury hospitalisation and poisoning hospitalisation.

Results

Altogether 111 physical injury hospitalisations occurred in 65 (22% of all) persons during follow-up, incidence being 27.9 (95% CI: 22.7–33.1) per 1,000 person-years. Poisoning hospitalisation occurred in 22 (7.3%) persons, altogether 50 times, incidence being 12.6 (95% CI: 9.1–16.0). Seven injury-related deaths occurred, incidence being 1.8 (95% CI: 0.5–3.1) per 1,000 person-years. The most common physical injury types were fractures (40%), followed by distortions (10%) and wounds (10%), while poisoning for drugs accounted for 72% of the poisonings. Previous inpatient care, psychotropic medication, suicidality, and major depression were associated with poisoning hospitalisation during the follow-up while only gender was associated with physical injury hospitalisation.

Conclusion

Injuries cause significant morbidity among psychiatric outpatients, but only poisonings seem to be related with suicidality in Finnish adolescent psychiatric outpatients. The high frequency of injuries seems to justify clinicians’ attention to these aspects when assessing the need for care among young people.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mrs. Marja Vajaranta for language editing. The study has received no funding. The authors have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Military Medicine, Finnish Defence Forces, Lahti, Finland

    Ville M. Mattila MD, PhD & Markus Henriksson MD, PhD

  2. Hämeenlinna Central Hospital, Hämeenlinna, Finland

    Ville M. Mattila MD, PhD

  3. Tommilanraitti 1a, 36270, Kangasala, Finland

    Ville M. Mattila MD, PhD

  4. National Authority for Medicolegal Affairs, Helsinki, Finland

    Markus Henriksson MD, PhD

  5. Dept. of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Mirjami Pelkonen PhD & Mauri Marttunen MD, PhD

  6. Dept. of Adolescent Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Mirjami Pelkonen PhD & Mauri Marttunen MD, PhD

  7. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Mauri Marttunen MD, PhD

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  1. Ville M. Mattila MD, PhD
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  2. Mirjami Pelkonen PhD
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  3. Markus Henriksson MD, PhD
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  4. Mauri Marttunen MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Ville M. Mattila MD, PhD.

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Mattila, V.M., Pelkonen, M., Henriksson, M. et al. Injury risk in young psychiatric outpatients. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 627–634 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0343-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0343-z

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