Meyfroidt N, Wyckaert S, Bouckaert F, Wampers M, Mazereel V, Bruffaerts R. Suicide in Belgian psychiatric inpatients. A matched case-control study in a Belgian teaching hospital.
Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2020;
34:8-13. [PMID:
32248938 DOI:
10.1016/j.apnu.2019.12.004]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital show an increased risk for suicide but specific risk factors are not well understood.
METHODS
In this case-control study we describe suicides (n = 37) that took place during admission in a Flemish psychiatric teaching hospital between 2007 and 2015 and investigate predictive factors for suicide.
RESULTS
Inpatient suicide is a rare condition (37 patients among 20,442 admission periods between 2007 and 2015). Most inpatients who completed suicide were diagnosed with a mood disorder (68%); 38% committed suicide in the first month of hospitalization and 19% in the first week following admission. The majority of suicides took place just before or during the weekend (57%), with hanging as the prominent method (41%). Multivariate analysis showed that hopelessness was the only significant risk factor for inpatient suicide.
CONCLUSIONS
Inpatient suicide remains a very rare event in inpatient care. Enquiring and managing hopelessness is essential in inpatient treatment of psychiatric patients.
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