Title: Suicide by poisoning
Course: Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Suicide by poisoning

Drinking berekina (bleach, Figure 8.3) or kerosene is a common method of trying to commit suicide, i.e. the person intended to purposefully kill themselves. If you suspect suicide by poisoning, deal with the immediate emergency as you would for any other poisoning event. If the person survives, they will need additional support when they return to the community to resolve the cause of the mental distress that pushed them to attempt suicide. Refer to Study Session 10 of this Module for a detailed discussion of the signs that may give you early warning that someone is thinking of trying to kill themselves. Part 2 of this Module describes a wide range of mental health problems and how to deal with them at community level.

Figure 8.3 A person in severe mental distress may try to commit suicide by drinking a poison such as bleach or kerosene.