In-patient suicide in psychiatric hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

In-patient suicides continue to be a matter of concern in hospital psychiatry. In-patients at risk for suicide need to be identified.

METHOD: In-patient suicides in two psychiatric hospitals were assessed over a time-span of 8 years. Cases were detected by comparing police suicide data with the hospitals' admission and discharge records. Further information was then gathered from patients' records.

RESULTS

During the period under investigation 44 in-patients committed suicide, the majority of them being diagnosed with affective disorders (45.4%) or schizophrenia (27.3%). The most commonly used method was 'jumping in front of a vehicle' (34.1%); 79.5% were treated in an open ward at the time of their suicide, 15.9% in a locked unit. The majority of open ward suicides happened outside the hospital; 39.4% of patients had left the ward without giving notice.

CONCLUSION

Additional cautionary measures are warranted especially for patients in open wards.