{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7127924399","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","title":"Profile of deliberate self-poisoning admissions in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (2018 - 2023) and the impact of COVID-19","display_name":"Profile of deliberate self-poisoning admissions in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (2018 - 2023) and the impact of COVID-19","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-02-04","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7127924399","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42246795"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","pdf_url":"https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/download/3710/1710","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S147026946","display_name":"South African Medical Journal","issn_l":"0256-9574","issn":["0256-9574","2078-5135"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["doaj","doyens","jpps-2","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","scielo"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315351","host_organization_name":"Health and Medical Publishing Group","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315351"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Health and Medical Publishing Group"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"South African Medical Journal","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/download/3710/1710","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5061731090","display_name":"S Pillay","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5604-645X","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5604-645X"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I95023434","display_name":"University of KwaZulu-Natal","ror":"https://ror.org/04qzfn040","country_code":"ZA","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I95023434"]}],"countries":["ZA"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"S Pillay","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Internal Medicine, Victoria Mxenge Hospital, and Discipline of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5604-645X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Internal Medicine, Victoria Mxenge Hospital, and Discipline of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I95023434"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5061731090"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I95023434"],"apc_list":{"value":5732,"currency":"ZAR","value_usd":311},"apc_paid":{"value":5732,"currency":"ZAR","value_usd":311},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.0675916,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"116","issue":"1","first_page":"e3710","last_page":"e3710"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10376","display_name":"Suicide and Self-Harm Studies","score":0.8862000107765198,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3203","display_name":"Clinical Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10376","display_name":"Suicide and Self-Harm Studies","score":0.8862000107765198,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3203","display_name":"Clinical Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11635","display_name":"Poisoning and overdose treatments","score":0.10660000145435333,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2711","display_name":"Emergency Medicine"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10576","display_name":"Opioid Use Disorder Treatment","score":0.001500000013038516,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2739","display_name":"Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/deliberate-self-poisoning","display_name":"self-poisoning","score":0.9940000176429749},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/suicide-attempts","display_name":"suicide attempts","score":0.7260000109672546},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/covid-19","display_name":"COVID-19 pandemic","score":0.878000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/medication-overdose","display_name":"medication overdose","score":0.8169999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/acetaminophen-overdose","display_name":"acetaminophen overdose","score":0.8970000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mental-disorders","display_name":"mental illness","score":0.6079999804496765},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/in-hospital-mortality","display_name":"in-hospital mortality","score":0.8799999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/intensive-care-unit-admission","display_name":"intensive care unit admission","score":0.625},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/kwazulu-natal","display_name":"KwaZulu-Natal","score":0.8730000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/young-women","display_name":"young women","score":0.625},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/hospital-admission-trends","display_name":"hospital admission trends","score":0.5619999766349792},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/resource-limited-settings","display_name":"resource-limited settings","score":0.8730000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/predictors-of-complications","display_name":"predictors of complications","score":0.5199999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/harm-reduction","display_name":"harm reduction","score":0.37599998712539673}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71924100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11190","display_name":"Medicine","level":0,"score":0.927299976348877},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C89623803","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12184","display_name":"Pandemic","level":5,"score":0.6348999738693237},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C151956035","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1132755","display_name":"Logistic regression","level":2,"score":0.5605999827384949},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C194828623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2861470","display_name":"Emergency medicine","level":1,"score":0.4731999933719635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C167135981","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2146302","display_name":"Retrospective cohort study","level":2,"score":0.44859999418258667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39896193","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380344","display_name":"Descriptive statistics","level":2,"score":0.4404999911785126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190385971","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q373494","display_name":"Injury prevention","level":3,"score":0.42500001192092896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38180746","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1952580","display_name":"Multivariate analysis","level":2,"score":0.41830000281333923},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3017944768","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1450463","display_name":"Poison control","level":2,"score":0.4025000035762787},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C545542383","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2751242","display_name":"Medical emergency","level":1,"score":0.365200012922287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187155963","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q629029","display_name":"Occupational safety and health","level":2,"score":0.3571000099182129},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C99454951","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q932068","display_name":"Environmental health","level":1,"score":0.3531999886035919},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C179755657","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58702","display_name":"Mortality rate","level":2,"score":0.3528999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C526869908","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3298118","display_name":"Suicide prevention","level":3,"score":0.35199999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C205545832","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17156455","display_name":"Young adult","level":2,"score":0.3391000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12174686","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1058438","display_name":"Risk assessment","level":2,"score":0.31369999051094055},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166735990","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1750812","display_name":"Human factors and ergonomics","level":3,"score":0.3109000027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187212893","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123028","display_name":"Pediatrics","level":1,"score":0.30730000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781385661","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4677918","display_name":"Acute care","level":3,"score":0.3068000078201294},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2908647359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2625603","display_name":"Population","level":2,"score":0.3050999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779473830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1540899","display_name":"MEDLINE","level":2,"score":0.29679998755455017},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3008058167","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q84263196","display_name":"Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)","level":4,"score":0.28790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776376669","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5094647","display_name":"Intensive care unit","level":2,"score":0.2838999927043915},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2991842025","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31207","display_name":"Tertiary care","level":2,"score":0.274399995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195910791","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1324077","display_name":"Medical record","level":2,"score":0.2694999873638153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C512399662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3505712","display_name":"Family medicine","level":1,"score":0.2669000029563904}],"mesh":[{"descriptor_ui":"D000086382","descriptor_name":"COVID-19","qualifier_ui":"Q000453","qualifier_name":"epidemiology","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D000293","descriptor_name":"Adolescent","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D000328","descriptor_name":"Adult","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D005260","descriptor_name":"Female","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D006760","descriptor_name":"Hospitalization","qualifier_ui":"Q000706","qualifier_name":"statistics & numerical data","is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D006801","descriptor_name":"Humans","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D008297","descriptor_name":"Male","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D008875","descriptor_name":"Middle Aged","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D011041","descriptor_name":"Poisoning","qualifier_ui":"Q000453","qualifier_name":"epidemiology","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D012189","descriptor_name":"Retrospective Studies","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D013019","descriptor_name":"South Africa","qualifier_ui":"Q000453","qualifier_name":"epidemiology","is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D013406","descriptor_name":"Suicide, Attempted","qualifier_ui":"Q000706","qualifier_name":"statistics & numerical data","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D017052","descriptor_name":"Hospital Mortality","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D055815","descriptor_name":"Young Adult","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D062606","descriptor_name":"Tertiary Care Centers","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D062787","descriptor_name":"Drug Overdose","qualifier_ui":"Q000453","qualifier_name":"epidemiology","is_major_topic":false}],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","pdf_url":"https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/download/3710/1710","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S147026946","display_name":"South African Medical Journal","issn_l":"0256-9574","issn":["0256-9574","2078-5135"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["doaj","doyens","jpps-2","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","scielo"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315351","host_organization_name":"Health and Medical Publishing Group","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315351"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Health and Medical Publishing Group"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"South African Medical Journal","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:42246795","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42246795","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde","raw_type":"Journal Article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:8513ba092b6b489f9fbc7f8a4b85e10b","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/8513ba092b6b489f9fbc7f8a4b85e10b","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-sa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-sa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"South African Medical Journal, Vol 116, Iss 1 (2026)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2026.v116i1.3710","pdf_url":"https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/download/3710/1710","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S147026946","display_name":"South African Medical Journal","issn_l":"0256-9574","issn":["0256-9574","2078-5135"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["doaj","doyens","jpps-2","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","scielo"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315351","host_organization_name":"Health and Medical Publishing Group","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315351"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Health and Medical Publishing Group"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"South African Medical Journal","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Good health and well-being","score":1.0,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/3"}],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"display_name":"Good health and well-being","score":0.8633406758308411,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/3"}],"study_designs":[{"display_name":"Observational Study","id":"https://openalex.org/study-designs/observational-study"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7127924399.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7127924399.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"BACKGROUND:":[0],"Deliberate":[1],"self-poisoning":[2],"(DSP)":[3],"is":[4,23,376],"a":[5,66,97,109,124,183,201,208,263],"common":[6,344],"method":[7,28],"of":[8,29,62,91,100,170,177,190,204,240,259,267,278,317,335,343],"attempted":[9,30],"suicide":[10],"globally,":[11],"particularly":[12],"among":[13],"young":[14,309],"adults":[15],"and":[16,79,136,160,207,219,228,250,295,313,323,338],"women.":[17],"In":[18],"South":[19],"Africa":[20],"(SA),":[21],"DSP":[22,51,63,102,192,279,303,354,360],"the":[24,60,83,87,157,178,197,215,220,251,286,340,347,365,370],"second":[25],"most":[26,221],"frequent":[27],"suicide,":[31],"after":[32],"hanging.":[33],"The":[34,275],"COVID-19":[35,84,179,366],"pandemic":[36,85,180,291],"raised":[37],"concerns":[38],"about":[39],"potential":[40,184],"increases":[41],"in":[42,52,70,113,304,359],"suicidal":[43,374],"behaviour,":[44],"but":[45],"data":[46],"on":[47,50,373],"its":[48],"impact":[49,372],"resource-constrained":[53],"settings":[54],"are":[55],"limited.":[56],"OBJECTIVE:":[57],"To":[58],"describe":[59],"profile":[61],"admissions":[64,103],"at":[65,108],"large":[67,110],"tertiary":[68,111],"hospital":[69,112],"KwaZulu-Natal":[71],"(KZN)":[72],"Province,":[73],"SA,":[74],"over":[75,196],"2018":[76,105],"-":[77,289,293,298],"2023,":[78],"to":[80,106,155,166,352],"assess":[81],"whether":[82],"influenced":[86],"frequency":[88],"or":[89,128],"outcomes":[90,138,235,328],"these":[92],"cases.":[93],"METHODS:":[94],"I":[95],"conducted":[96],"retrospective":[98],"review":[99],"all":[101],"from":[104],"2023":[107],"KZN,":[114],"SA.":[115],"All":[116],"patients":[117,241],"aged":[118],"\u226513":[119],"years":[120,206],"who":[121],"intentionally":[122],"ingested":[123,135],"toxic":[125],"substance":[126],"(overdose":[127],"poison)":[129],"were":[130,149,153,194,225,236,329],"included.":[131],"Demographic":[132],"information,":[133],"substances":[134,224],"clinical":[137,234],"(intensive":[139],"care":[140],"unit":[141],"(ICU)":[142],"admission,":[143,244],"acute":[144,171,268,327],"medical":[145,172,248,269],"complications,":[146,173],"in-hospital":[147,252],"mortality)":[148],"recorded.":[150],"Descriptive":[151],"statistics":[152],"used":[154,165],"characterise":[156],"patient":[158],"cohort,":[159],"multivariate":[161],"logistic":[162],"regression":[163],"was":[164,214,255,262,362],"identify":[167],"independent":[168,265],"predictors":[169],"including":[174],"an":[175],"assessment":[176],"period":[181],"as":[182],"risk":[185],"factor.":[186],"RESULTS:":[187],"A":[188,257],"total":[189],"716":[191],"cases":[193,280,361],"analysed":[195],"study":[198],"period,":[199],"with":[200,332],"median":[202],"age":[203],"26":[205],"female":[209],"predominance":[210],"(64.7%).":[211],"Medication":[212],"overdose":[213,316],"principal":[216],"mechanism":[217],"(81%),":[218],"frequently":[222],"involved":[223],"paracetamol":[226,322],"(17.6%)":[227],"antiretroviral":[229],"(ARV)":[230],"medications":[231,320],"(16.8%).":[232],"Acute":[233],"generally":[237],"favourable:":[238],"3.4%":[239],"required":[242],"ICU":[243],"1.3%":[245],"developed":[246],"serious":[247],"complications":[249,270,337],"mortality":[253],"rate":[254],"0.7%.":[256],"history":[258],"psychiatric":[260],"illness":[261],"strong":[264],"predictor":[266],"(odds":[271],"ratio":[272],"9.4,":[273],"p=0.007).":[274],"annual":[276],"volume":[277],"showed":[281],"no":[282,357],"significant":[283],"difference":[284],"across":[285],"pre-pandemic":[287],"(2018":[288],"2019),":[290],"(2020":[292],"2021)":[294],"post-pandemic":[296],"(2022":[297],"2023)":[299],"periods":[300],"(p=0.18).":[301],"CONCLUSION:":[302],"this":[305],"setting":[306],"predominantly":[307],"affects":[308],"adults,":[310],"especially":[311],"females,":[312],"often":[314],"involves":[315],"readily":[318],"accessible":[319],"(notably":[321],"ARV":[324],"drugs).":[325],"While":[326],"largely":[330],"favourable,":[331],"low":[333],"rates":[334],"severe":[336],"death,":[339],"high":[341],"involvement":[342],"pharmaceuticals":[345],"underscores":[346],"need":[348],"for":[349],"preventive":[350],"strategies":[351],"reduce":[353],"incidents.":[355],"Notably,":[356],"surge":[358],"observed":[363],"during":[364],"pandemic,":[367],"suggesting":[368],"that":[369],"pandemic's":[371],"behaviour":[375],"context-specific.":[377]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-09-26T08:19:03.415552","created_date":"2026-02-07T00:00:00"}