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Methods of deliberate self-harm in Pakistan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Murad Moosa Khan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Aga Khan University Hospital PO Box 3500, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
Hashim Reza
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Aga Khan University Hospital PO Box 3500, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
*
Correspondence
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Abstract

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Reports of deliberate self-harm (DSH) are rare from Pakistan where psychotropic drugs can be obtained ‘over the counter’. A retrospective analysis of 302 index cases presenting to a university hospital in Karachi showed self-poisoning with benzodiazepines as the most common method, followed by organophosphate insecticides. Salicylates and non-opiate analgesics were significantly absent from our series. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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Briefings
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996

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