Suicide attempts by jumping and length of stay in general hospital: A retrospective study of 225 patients.

OBJECTIVE

Violent suicide attempts, such as jumping from a height, frequently lead to hospitalization in general hospital with high length of stay (LOS). We investigated features associated with LOS in this context.

METHODS

We retrospectively included all patients admitted after suicide attempts by jumping in non-psychiatric wards of a university hospital between 2008 and 2016. Several socio-demographic and clinical data were collected, including psychiatric diagnoses, coded with the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision. We used general linear models to identify factors associated with LOS.

RESULTS

Among 225 patients (125 men; mean age ± sd: 37.5 ± 15.4 years), several clinical factors were independently associated with a longer LOS: number of injuries (β = 8.2 p < .001), external fixator (β = 18.1 p = .01), psychotic disorder (β = 14.6 p = .02) and delirium (β = 16.6 p = .005). Admission in psychiatric ward at discharge tended to be associated with lower LOS (β = -15.3 p = .07).

CONCLUSION

In patients admitted in non-psychiatric wards after suicide attempt by jumping, the presence of a psychotic disorder may increase LOS by several days, and indirectly costs of hospitalization, to a similar extent of non-psychiatric factors. The association of transfer in psychiatric ward with lower LOS suggests that the psychiatric disorder might interfere with medical care.