Citation

Pollack S. Calif. Med. 1958; 89(5): 343-344.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1958, California Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

13585161

PMCID

PMC1512502

Abstract

Increasing awareness by physicians in general medical practice of the possibility of suicide in nonpsychiatric patients is indispensable for the evaluation of suicide risk and for a practical approach to the problem of prevention. An analysis was made of the records of 11 cases of suicide by medical and surgical patients who were in a general nonpsychiatric Veterans Administration hospital for evaluation and treatment of physical disease. It was noted that the general hospital staff had a low index of suspicion of the possibility of suicide in general hospital patients. It appeared from this study that there is a definite suicide risk in older persons hospitalized for physical illness who develop psychotic reactions during the course of their illness and hospitalization. The signs and symptoms of toxic and organic psychosis in these older patients were not recognized and their significance relative to suicide risk was not appreciated. Although psychiatric signs of severe emotional disturbance appeared clinically obvious at least 24 hours before suicide in ten of the eleven patients, no suicide risk was considered present, nor were adequate precautions taken by the hospital staff. This was owing to the lack of psychiatric orientation among the nonpsychiatric physicians.

Language: en