Clinical management following self-harm in a UK-wide primary care cohort

Background Little is known about the clinical management of patients in primary care following self-harm. Methods A descriptive cohort study using data from 684 UK general practices that contributed to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) during 2001–2013. We identified 49,970 patients with a self-harm episode, 41,500 of whom had one complete year of follow-up. Results Among those with complete follow-up, 26,065 (62.8%, 62.3–63.3) were prescribed psychotropic medication and 6318 (15.2%, 14.9-15.6) were referred to mental health services; 4105 (9.9%, CI 9.6–10.2) were medicated without an antecedent psychiatric diagnosis or referral, and 4,506 (10.9%, CI 10.6–11.2) had a diagnosis but were not subsequently medicated or referred. Patients registered at practices in the most deprived localities were 27.1% (CI 21.5–32.2) less likely to be referred than those in the least deprived. Despite a specifically flagged NICE 'Do not do’ recommendation in 2011 against prescribing tricyclic antidepressants following self-harm because of their potentially lethal toxicity in overdose, 8.8% (CI 7.8-9.8) of individuals were issued a prescription in the subsequent year. The percentage prescribed Citalopram, an SSRI antidepressant with higher toxicity in overdose, fell sharply during 2012/2013 in the aftermath of a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) safety alert issued in 2011. Conclusions A relatively small percentage of these vulnerable patients are referred to mental health services, and reduced likelihood of referral in more deprived localities reflects a marked health inequality. National clinical guidelines have not yet been effective in reducing rates of tricyclic antidepressant prescribing for this high-risk group.
Highlights • The percentage of patients referred to mental health services is low. • Patients in the most deprived localities have the least chance of being referred. • One in ten are prescribed medication without a diagnosis or referral. • Eleven percent have a diagnosis but are not medicated or referred. • Despite guidance, a sizeable proportion were prescribed potentially toxic medication.