Family characteristics of Indian parasuicide patients : a controlled study

In this article a controlled study of the family structure of a South African Indian parasuicide population is described. Twenty subjects from a local general hospital were scored on the Suicidal Intent Scale (SIS) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Twenty matched medical patients without a history of parasuicide were selected from the same hospital as a control group. They were matched for age, sex, educational standard, ethnic group and socio-economic status. All subjects were scored on the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Subjects from both groups were re-tested between six to eight weeks after the initial assessment. Analyses of variance indicated significant differences between the two groups on indicators of family interactional pathology. This seems to be compounded by family stresses emanating from socio-cultural transition. The results of the study support the view that family therapy should be implemented in the treatment of parasuicide. The unique population under study provides cross-cultural data relevant to parasuicide research and invites possibilities for further investigation.