Table 3 Predominant Form / Method of Self-harm by year of publication

Cummins & Allwood

(1984) [83]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 81

(F = 54, M = 27)

▪ Overdose = 64/81 (79%)

F = 46/54 (85.2%)

M = 18/27 (66.7%)

–

3/5

Schlebusch

(1985) [84]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 159

(F = 115, M = 44)

▪ Overdose, 151/159 (95%)

F = 112/115 (97.4%)

M = 39/44 (88.6%)

▪ Wrist/arm cutting = 8/159 (5%)

F = 5/115 (4.3%)

M = 3/44 (6.8%)

4/5

Pillay

(1987) [85]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 55

(F = 42, M = 13)

▪ Overdose = 55/55 (100%)

–

3/5

Pillay

(1988) [86]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 87

(F = 68, M = 19)

▪ Self-poisoning = 81/87 (93.1%)

F = 67/68 (98.5%)

M = 14/19 (73.7%)

▪ Carbon monoxide = 1/87 (1.1%)

F = 0/68

M = 1/19 (5.3%)

▪ Wrist cutting = 1/87 (1.1%)

F = 1/68 (1.5%)

M = 0/19

▪ Hanging = 2/87 (2.3%)

F = 0/68

M = 2/19 (10.5%)

▪ Stabbing = 1/87 (1.1%)

F = 0/68

M = 1/19 (5.3%)

▪ Jumping from height = 1/87 (1.1%)

F = 0/68

M = 1/19 (5.3%)

3/5

Pillay & Wassenaar

(1991) [87]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 40

(F = 26, M = 14)

Ingestion of:

▪ Medicines = 38/40 (95%)

▪ Pesticides = 2/40 (5%)

–

3/5

Mhlongo & Peltzer

(1999) [88]

South Africa

General

hospital

N = 100

(F = 63, M = 37)

▪ Paraffin = 36/100 (36%)

▪ Methylated spirit = 12/100 (12%)

▪ Shampoo = 11/100 (11%)

▪ Pesticides = 10/100 (10%)

▪ Detergent = 9/100 (9%)

▪ Battery acid = 6/100 (6%)

▪ Medicaments = 3/100 (3%)

▪ Ingestion of glass = 4/100 (4%)

Hanging = 9/100 (9%)

3/5

Madu & Matla

(2003) [37]

South Africa

School

N = 435

(F = 243, M = 192)

▪ Self-poisoning = 40/435 (9.2%)

F = 21/243 (8.6%)

M = 19/192 (9.9%)

▪ Drug overdose = 23/435 (5.3%)

F = 13/243 (5.3%)

M = 10/192 (5.2)

▪ Hanging = 20/435 (4.6%)

F = 5/243 (2.1%)

M = 15/192 (7.8%)

▪ Stabbing = 2/435 (0.5%)

F = 0/243

M = 2/192 (1%)

4/5

Sommer

(2005) [39]

South Africa

School

N = 299

(F = 185, M = 114)

▪ Overdose = 141/299 (47.2%)

▪ Wrist cutting = 133/299 (44.4%)

▪ Jumping from height = 25/299 (8.4%)

2/5

Yéo-Tenena et al. (2010) [89]

Ivory Coast

Hospital

N = 42

(F = 33, M = 9)

▪ Chloroquine = 26/42 (61.9%)

▪ Psychotropic = 8/42 (19%)

▪ Paracetamol = 4/42 (9.5%)

▪ Metronidazole = 3/42 (7.1%)

▪ Muriatic acid = 3/42 (7.1%)

▪ Sodium hypochlorite = 2/42 (4.8%)

▪ Ethyl alcohol = 2/42 (4.8%)

▪ Rat poison = 2/42 (4.8%)

▪ Thinner = 1/42 (2.4%)

▪ Hanging = 1/42 (2.4%)

4/5

Beekrum et al. (2011) [24]

South Africa

Hospital

N = 10

(F = 10)

▪ All participants took overdose of prescription medication belonging to a family member: benzodiazepines, steroidal anti-inflammatories, and various blood pressure medications.

5/5

Okoko et al.

(2011) [90]

Congo Brazzaville

Hospital

N = 62

(F = 50, M = 12)

▪ Overdose = 53 (85.5%)

▪ Caustic soda = 6 (9.7%)

▪ Powder = 1 (1.6%)

▪ Rat poison = 1 (1.6%)

▪ Hanging = 1 (1.6%)

4/5

Pretorius

(2011) [29]

South Africa

Children’s homes

N = 12

(F = 10, M = 2)

–

▪ Cutting = 11 (91.6%)

▪ Carving words into skin = 11 (91.6%)

▪ Broken own bones = 9 (75%)

▪ Punching self = 8 (66.6%)

▪ Sharp objects through skin = 8 (66.6)

▪ Burning with a lighter or match = 7 (58.3%)

▪ Carving pictures or patterns into skin = 7 (58.3%)

▪ Scratching = 4 (33.3%)

▪ Rubbing glass into skin = 4 (33.3%)

▪ Banging of head = 4 (33.3%)

▪ Preventing wounds from healing = 4 (33.3%)

▪ Burning with a cigarette = 3 (25%)

▪ Biting = 1 (8.3%)

▪ Dripping acid onto skin = 1 (8.3%)

▪ Bleach or oven cleaner onto skin = 1 (8.3%)

▪ Rubbing sandpaper = 2 (16.6%).

3/5

Fine et al.

(2012) [91]

South Africa

Hospital

N = 50

(F = 31

M = 19)

▪ Overdose = 17/50 (34%)

▪ Poisoning = 2/50 (4%)

▪ Drowning = 2/50 (4%)

▪ Cutting = 36/50 (75%)

▪ Hanging = 10 (20%)

▪ Jumping from a height = 3/50 (6%)

3/5

Shilubane et al. (2012) [32]

South Africa

Community

N = 14

(F = 8, M = 6)

Ingestion of:

▪ Medications = 9/14 (64.3%)

▪ Paraffin = 1/14 (7.1%)

▪ Disinfectant = 1/14 (7.1)

▪ Burning = 1/14 (7.1%)

▪ Hanging = 1/14 (7.1%)

4/5

Van Rooyen

(2013)^a [50]

Lippi

(2014)^a [52]

South Africa

University

N = 603

(F = 483, M = 120)

–

▪ Cutting = 132/603 (21.9%)

▪ Severe scratching = 93/603 (15.4%)

▪ Carving words into skin = 70/603 (11.6%)

▪ Burning with lighter or match = 66/603 (10.9%)

▪ Sticking objects into skin = 52/603 (8.6%)

▪ Punching self = 48/603 (8%)

▪ Carving pictures into skin = 44/603 (7.3%)

▪ Burning with cigarette = 42/603 (7%)

▪ Interfering with wound healing = 36/603 (6.5%)

▪ Banging head = 30/603 (5%)

3/5

van der Walt

(2016) [60]

South Africa

University

N = 201

(F = 110, M = 91)

▪ Alcohol abuse = 46/201 (22.9%)

▪ Overdose = 25/201 (12.4%)

▪ Medication abuse = 12/201 (6%)

▪ Hitting self = 26/201 (12.9%)

▪ Head banging = 24/201 (11.9%)

▪ Cutting = 18/201 (9%)

▪ Scratching = 17/201 (8.5%)

▪ Exercised an injury on purpose = 12/201 (6%)

▪ Prevented wounds from healing = 10/201 (5%)

▪ Burning = 4/201 (2%)

▪ Reckless driving = 21/201 (10.4%)

3/5

Meissner & Bantjes (2017) [27]

South Africa

University

N = 4 (M = 4)

–

▪ Hanging = 2/4 (50%)

▪ Car accident = 2/4 (50%)

5/5

Kritzinger

(2018) [26]

South Africa

Hospital

N = 10 (F = 10)

▪ Overdose

▪ Rat poison

▪ Furniture oil

–

5/5