Well, in my viewpoint, the statistical treatment of "partial suicide" or parasuicide data is a very difficult task. The first problem is to define which cases are eligible to be considered as a "partial suicide" and the second problem (and more critical) is where you will get these data. Considering that, even in the cases of completed suicide, the available datasets are often disturbed and biased by confounders like death undercounting and death misclassification, we may suppose that "partial suicide" and parasuicide data are even less reliable. In this way, I may suggest to count only the cases where the victims have clearly stated their suicide intention by means of letters and/or privative communication with relatives and friends.

Dear Julie, I agree with you.

Possible cases of missing victims of self-destructive acts (including parasuicide) can also contribute as confounders...

But I believe that such cases are somewhat rare. The majority of parasuicide cases result from the use of low lethality methods such as poisoning, drugs abuse, etc. In this way, parasuicidal acts often sounds as 'cries for help', in which the victims desire desperately gain attention of others...

Suicidal act depend degree of courage. when failed to fulfill the ambitions trying to

do self punishment out of humiliation and helplessness. so the stage has come first

out come of partial suicide. According to me the first stage committing suicide.

I did Astrological counselling two cases to stop the attempt suicide.

Hi Akshaya, What 'outcome' are you interested in measuring? The outcome is that they did not die, from your question? Are you additionally interested in tracking depression levels immediately following the attempt and longitudinally, as other studies have? Are you interested in the impact of the attempt on families emotionally or socially or financially?

.. not too sure of the selfishness argument Graham.. think the emotional state most clearly linked to suicide is hopelessness.. think (in general) someone in profound hopelessness is somewhat beyond a 'selfish' state. Also think suicide and in particular 'partial' or para suicide can have such diverse underpinnings for diverse people in diverse situations that it is almost impossible to account. Also agree that much parasuicide behaviour goes under the radar.

To try and access parasuicide presentations we set up an intervention and monitoring study at the emergency department (ED), because people do not have to be help-seeking or self-nominate as suicidal to be detected as such.

In accessing presenters though it was important we looked beyond admission codes - as people who were suicidal came in with diverse reasons for being in the ED, for example: "Poisoning/Toxin” (42.5%), “Simple Intoxication,” “Depression,” “Anxiety,” “Muscle Injury/Pain,” and “Laceration”.

We needed to access secondary coding regarding ideation and method that was picked up at triage. We were also tasked to conduct some training with ED staff to ensure some basic questions were being asked when risk indicators were present, to minimise poor recognition, under-reporting and people 'slipping through the cracks'.

I agree with Walter's suggestion that the terms used in the question need to be defined.  Some of the responses refer parasuicidal behavior instead of "partial suicide".  I have seen the term "parasuicidal behavior" used to describe a range of behaviors (from suicidal behaviors that did not result in a death to any form of self-injury).  I do not know if the author of the question meant either of these when referencing "partial suicide".  However, I will formulate my response based upon the assumption that "partial suicide" refers to "parasuicidal behavior" and that both of these reference "any form of self-injury".  (Another interpretation of the phrase "partial suicide" is the contrast between "attempted suicide" where the patient does not die from the suicide attempt and "completed suicide" where the patient dies from the suicide attempt.  Some of the following ideas about making a clear distinction between these phenomena so that data can be properly collected also applies to this interpretation of the phrase "partial suicide".)

The 'suicidal behavior / parasuicidal behavior / unconscious self-punishment' theory of suicidal and self-harm behaviors (described by Karl Menninger1) is very troubling to me.  It reminds me of stories of the theories of panic disorder that were used before successful medications were found as a treatment.  First, it bothers me that the phrase "parasuicidal" is still being used as this suggests that any self-injury is tied to suicidality and this is not the case.  People can self-injure (without conscious suicidal intent) for religious, social, or cultural reasons.  People can also self-injure for purposes of sadomasochism2.  Although there is the potential that someone engaging in self-injury for these reasons is also secretly suicidal, I see no evidence to suggest that even a large number of these people also happen to be suicidal.  In addition, just because a person that self-injures also happens to experience suicidality, that doesn't mean that any self-injury the patient engages in is tied to their suicidality.  There needs to be a distinct delineation between attempts to kill oneself and attempts to only harm oneself.  This is done by looking at the presence or absence of intent to die from the action.  If the patient intends to die from the specific act of self-harm in question, then this is a suicide attempt.  However, if the patient does not intend to die from the specific act of self-harm in question, this is only self-injury.  Only after this distinction is made can these events be properly recorded in order to allow proper research on these different events to be conducted.

Many of the 'selfish / cries for help / depression / helplessness' theories explained in the prior answers to the question are similarly disturbing to me.  Although I understand these are widely used theories, I haven't seen any significant evidence that some of them are true and the one that I have seen evidence to support (depression) is not true for many patients experiencing suicidality.  I believe the model(s) we have been following to understand suicidality are wrong and that a new model needs to be created before significant advances in suicidality research can take place.