Objective: This study aimed to characterize demographic and socioeconomic data, on-scene medical conditions, methods used, and emergency medical systems (EMS) response times and distances for patients and individuals seeking help from EMS due to suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts.
Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study. The study includes patients and individuals in Manisa who were attended by EMS providers following calls to the 112 emergency call center for suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts over two years (2022- 2023).
Results: The study included 875 cases in 2022 (51.2%) and 835 in 2023. It was observed that the incidents were more common among young individuals (average age 29), males (55%), the unemployed (82.9%), those living in urban areas (77.7%), on Mondays (15.8%), and between 17:00 and 00:00 (41.8%). Most patients were transported to the hospital by EMS providers (88%). High rates of alcohol consumption (29.3%) and aggressive behaviors (17.9%) were noted. The most common method of suicide attempt was drug overdose (53.7%), particularly with antipsychotics (36.8%) and paracetamol (31.4%). Suicide attempts using the patient’s own medication were frequent (34.7%). For those who self-harmed with sharp objects, the most commonly injured areas were the hand and wrist (41.1%) and forearm (35%). The average response times for the EMS to reach the scene were 391.5 s in urban areas and 875 s in rural areas.
Conclusion: Young males, unemployed individuals, and those living in urban areas were the most common patients and individuals attended by EMS providers. The most common method of suicide attempt was high-dose drug ingestion, particularly antipsychotics and paracetamol. The highest on-scene fatality rates were observed with hanging and firearm use, whereas sharp object injuries were frequent but had lower on-scene fatality rates. Additionally, response times and distances were longer in rural areas.