Predictive scales for parasuicide repetition. Further results

A six‐item predictive scale for parasuicide repetition was retested on a second sample of Italian parasuicides. All the patients first‐ever admitted after a deliberate self‐harm to the psychiatric department of a general hospital during the period April 1973‐March 1976 were interviewed and followed‐up after an interval of 1 year. The scale showed the same predictive power found in the first sample (1970–73) and gave a range of probability of repetition within 1 year of 15 % at a score of 0 up to 44.8 % at the scores 3, 4, 5, and 6. Moreover it discriminated between repeaters and non‐repeaters at a significant level. Only two items (diagnosis of sociopathy and change of domicile in the last year) of the five items which discriminated repeaters from non‐repeaters in the first study were still significantly associated with repetition, while four additional items (previous in‐patient psychiatric treatment; previous parasuicide resulting in hospital admission; unemployment; criminal record) appeared as new discriminating factors. In spite of these changes the rate of repetition remained constant over the years at around 26 %. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved