ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

By:
Maria Silvana Dhawo,MHPEd
Learning Objectives

After the end of the session, the students should be able

to:
 Reading the text about Attempted Suicide
 Understanding the vocabulary in attempted suicide’s
text
 Understanding the medical information and patient
assessment record regarding attempted suicide
 Answering the exersice 1 to 4
 Mrs. Roberta Blackwood-Attempted Suicide

When Roberta Blackwood was admitted to A & E, she was

sitting up, though she was a little vague and sleepy. She
responded to verbal commands and was able to transfer
herself from the ambulance trolley to the casualty trolley.
Roberta’s breath smelt of alcohol. However, there were no
signs that she had vomited. Base-line functions were recorded
on the admission from thus:
 Base-Line Functions

Breathing Rate: 16/min Cough

Nil

Circulation Pulse Rate : 92/min BP: 105/65mmHg

Colour Skin: Ok Lips: Pink

Eyes

Pupil react to light: OK

 Mrs. Roberta Blackwood-Attempted Suicide
Roberta was accompanied in the ambulance by her aunt, Mrs.
Judith Smart. The patient had telephoned her aunt an
hourearlier telling her what she had done and asking her to
take care of her baby.
At the time the addmission form was completed, Roberta was
very withdrawn, avoided looking at people and would not
speak. Later, however after some counselling by an A & E staff
nurse, she began to talk more openly.
 Mrs. Roberta Blackwood-Attempted Suicide
Roberta has a baby. She is unskilled and unqualified and her
husband works as a labourer. Roberta often visit a local pub
with her aunt, who is her best friend. Her husband is out most
evenings and when he returns, she says he is usually drunk
and often aggresive. She dreads her husband coming home at
night but, though he is fairly rough with her, he has not beaten
her up.
 Mrs. Roberta Blackwood-Attempted Suicide
Roberta said she felt unable to cope with the situations at
home. She said that the baby cried a lot and was very
demanding and that she was not getting much sleep. Roberta
is very anxious about the involvement of the social services
and worries in case they will take her baby away.
Her parents arrived soon after she did and her father showed
he was irritated at his daughter’s actions. Her husband so far
has not visited.
 VOCABULARY

• Vague : Melantur
• Withdrawn into (her) self : Tidak berkomunikasi
dengan orang lain
• To cope : Mampu mengelola hidup
• To dread : Merasa takut
• To Beat Up : Menyerang secara fisik
• Parasuicide : Mencoba bunuh diri
• Labourer : Pekerja Kasar
 EXERCISE 1

• On admission, the patient was:

– A. Unconsious
– B. Conscious and alert
– C. Awake but drowsy
• On admission, the patient:
• A. Had been sick
• B. Had not been sick
• C. Was sick
 EXERCISE 1
• The patient:
 A. Came alone
 B. Came with her baby
 C. Came with relative
• Her base-line functions show that the patient:
 A. Is not coughing
 B. Cannot cough
 C. Has no cough
 EXERCISE 1
• The patient is:
 A. Worried about the social services
 B. Anxious to see someone from social services
 C. Worried for the social services
• The patient’s father is:
 A. Sympathetic
 B. Indifferent
 C. Antagonistic
 EXERCISE 1
• The patient Says:
 A. She has too much
 B. There’s too much for her
 C. Things are too much for her
 • Name: Robertha Blackwood • Relevant Medical History: Feeling

MEDICAL INFORMATION
RECORD
PATIENT ASSESSMENT

• Prefers to be addressed as: depressed / weepy over period,

Robie has baby 3 months – c/o aunt-
• Address: 14 Hardcastle Terrace, consulted GP- No medication
Chesterton prescribed.
• Other person important to • Medical Diagnosis: Risk of
patient: Husband: James hepatic failure due to ingestion
of 12,5 g paracetamol/risk of
• Whom to Contact in Emergency:
respiratory/depression due to
As Above
drinking unknown amount
• DOB: 20.7.80 alcohol.
• Tell : 0112 765432
• Doctor: Dr.Sulivan
• Primary Nurse: RSN, Jane
Smallweed
 MEDICAL INFORMATION
PATIENT ASSESSMENT RECORD

• Reason for Admission: Overdose • Allergies: Penicilin

– 25 Paracetamol tabs (Approx.) • Patient’s feelings and
+ Gin expectation related to present
• Patient’s understanding af illness: Patient is aware of
addmission: Patient embarrased danger & poss. Risks & will co-
by admission-unresponsive but operate with stomach wash-out.
not unco-operative • Nurse’s initial impression
• Source of assessment: (Physical and social): Patient is
Patient/aunt (Judith Smart) conscious but drowsy,
accompanying. uncommunicative and avoid eye
• Family’s Understanding of contact, poss, poor relationship
admission: Husband & Parents with husband (reported by
informed. aunt):- says, “unable to cope
• Drugs taken at home: Admits to with new baby” Attractive, slim
use of cannabis (to help sleep). young women- not dirty or
untidy.
 Exercise 2
• Robbie is the patient’s husband
• The patient was given too many paracetamol
• The patient is out cold
• The patient is violent
• Information comes from the patient’s aunt
• The patient is unhappily married
• The husband knows about his wife’s admission
 Exercise 2
• Robbie uses unprescribed drugs
• The patient has been to see her family doctor
• No one is available to take care of the baby
• The overdose wil cause respiratory depression
 Exercise 3
Fill the blank with these words: at, to,in, on, of, ago, any, some,
about, since, with, though

Roberta Blackwood took an overdose ................. 25

paracetamol and drank ............... Gin. She did not respond
........... Staff ............. First but later spoke ............. Her problems
............ Home. She had a baby three months ............. And has
been feeling depressed .................. then. She is not getting .........
With her husband and she says she is unable to cope.......... The
new baby.
 Exercise 3
Fill the blank with these words: at, to,in, on, of, ago, any, some,
about, since, with, though

She uses cannabis ........... Help her sleep and ....... She has been
in touch with her GP he did not prescribe ............ Medication.
Roberta has agreed ............. Co-operate with staff over a
stomach wash-out because she understands the danger is
..............
 Exercise 4

Recent research by Professor Keith Hawton of Oxfors

University shows that the amount of suicide .............
(attempting, attempted, attempts) by women in the UK
increased dramatically ......... (immediate, immediately)
after the death oof Princess Diana on 31st August 1997.
There was a 33,7% rise .............. (at,on,in) suicides during
the week following the accident, and a 65,1% rise ...........
(at,on,in) deliberate self-harm and .................... (attempted,
attemps, attempting)suicide.
 Exercise 4

There is a theory that an event like Diana’s ............ (die,

died, death) brings people closer together with a shared
sense of ................ (sorry, sorrow) and that this social
cohesion prevents any sudden ............... (increased,
increasing, increase) in suicide attempts. But not so in
this case. Diana’s death seemed to serve as a .................
(go, switch, trigger) for those who wanted .............(to
take, taking, took) their own lives.
 Exercise 4
According to Professor Hawton, “Women related to Diana
through the ............... (stressful, stressed out, stresses)
and strains they saw in her life and some thought “Here
was a young woman who had everything going ...............
(for, by, with) her and so what’s the point in me ...............
(life, living, alive) when you could go just like that at
............. (some, all, any) time?”
 Exercise 4

Another cause of the ................. (raise, risen, rise) in

suicides, according to the research, is the ............... (guilt,
guilty) which people felt when Diana ................ (died, death,
dying). People felt responsible because they were part of
the society which wanted to know abut her and bought the
newspapers and magazines which chased her. “If it hadn’t
been for us,” people though, “she would not ............... (be
speeding, speeded, have been speeding) away in that car
from press and cameramen.”
 Exercise 4

A spokeswoman for the Smaritans agreed with Professor

Hawton but added, “we wouldn’t say her death ................
(Causing, Cause, Caused) anyone to kill themselves it is
never anyone ............... (else’s, else, else is) fault when
someone takes ............... (a, my, their) own life.”