A Repetition-Prediction Study on European Parasuicide Populations

Abstract

One of the aims of the inter-European study on parasuicide, which was initiated by WHO/Euro in the mid-1980s, was to try and identify social and personal characteristics predictive of future suicidal behavior. A follow-up interview study (the Repetition-Prediction Study) was designed, and so far 1145 interviews have been carried out at nine research centers, representing seven European countries. The study and the instrument used (the European Parasuicide Study Interview Schedules, EPSIS I and II) are described here. Some basic characteristics of the material from the various centers are presented and compared, and the representativeness of the samples are discussed. There were differences between the centers in several respects. Results from analyses based on pooled data have to be treated with some caution because of the possible lack of representativeness.