Abstract
BACKGROUND: In measuring health utilities, the primary reason for selecting patients as a source for valuations is that they directly experience the impact of the disease. OBJECTIVES: Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the variation in generic utility measures with respect to acute poisonings by including a comparison between those subjects who had high intention and low intention to commit suicide. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the responses of patients who had attempted suicide and were admitted to a toxicology ward. We used multiple methods, including TTO, VAS, and EQ-5D. RESULTS: We reviewed the collected questionnaires of one hundred patients admitted to the medical toxicology ward of Emam Reza teaching hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Our results show that the mental state after an incomplete suicide attempt can present either a real desire for suicide or a desire for attention from relatives and rejection of life problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the mental states associated with specific diseases should not be ignored in evaluating health states. Although there are benefits to relying on expert panels and the general population in evaluating various health states, attention to the particular health states of the patients (taking into account their associated mental well-being) should also be utilized.