To date, little is known about differences between actual suicide attempt, aborted and interrupted attempt, even though commonly used assessment tools include these subcategories, as Columbia suicide severity rating scale (CSSRS). According to the literature, there might be clinical differences between individuals attempting suicide and those presenting interrupted or aborted attempt.
The present study aimed to 1) provide information on the rates of interrupted or aborted, and actual suicide attempt, and 2) analyze associated sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, relying on a sample of patients admitted to several Swiss hospitals.
Data were drown from the French-Speaking Swiss Program For Monitoring Self-Harm, including patients admitted in four emergency departments between 2016 and 2019. Outcome variable was type of attempt, as a binary variable (actual suicide attempt vs. aborted or interrupted), based on participants’ responses to the C-SSRS. We compared groups using independent t-tests and Pearson's Chi-Square tests. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using univariable logistic regression. Then, a multivariable logistic regression model was run including variables that were associated with the outcomes in the univariable analysis.
Of the 687 individuals included, 230 (33.5%) presented with interrupted or aborted suicide attempts and 457 (66.5%) with actual suicide attempts. Among sociodemographic variables, patients coming from the Valais Canton presented a doubled risk for an actual suicide attempt (adjusted OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.05-4.09). Also, the adjusted model confirmed that those aged 24-44 were more at risk of presenting with an interrupted/aborted suicide attempt compared to those aged 45-65 (OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.17-0.70). Among clinical variables, compared to those admitted for an intoxication, those using other methods such as cutting object, jumping, strangulation, vehicular impact and other methods were significantly more likely to present themselves with an interrupted/aborted suicide attempt in the adjusted model.

Despite these differences, the groups overlapped among several characteristics, suggesting that clinical risk staging based on the interrupted/aborted or actual nature of the suicide attempt might not be recommended, in line with current recommendation for self-harm.