Citation

Kapur N, Hunt IM, Webb R, Bickley H, Windfuhr K, Shaw J, Appleby L. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 44-45.

Affiliation

Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, M13 9PL Manchester, UK. (nav.kapur@manchester.ac.uk)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963911

Abstract

Psychiatric in-patients are at particularly high risk of suicide but few studies have investigated trends in in-patient suicide over time. Aim: To examine trends in the rate of suicide by psychiatric in-patients and those recently discharged from in-patient care. Methods; A prospective descriptive study of all patients admitted to psychiatric care in England (1997-2003) as part of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide. Results: Between 1997 and 2003 the annual number of in-patient deaths from suicide fell from 200 to 161 (19.5% reduction). The corresponding fall in the rate of in-patient suicide was 2.22 to 1.22 per 100,000 bed days (45% reduction, p<0.001). This fall was observed across gender and age categories and for all common methods of suicide. The rate of post-discharge suicide increased by 15%. The rate of in-patient suicide in England has fallen. This fall has occurred at a time of fewer beds and a more severely ill in-patient population. The fall is unlikely to simply reflect falling general population rates. It could be a result of service improvements or a transfer of risk to the post-discharge period. Services should be aware of the importance of providing high quality aftercare following hospital discharge.

Language: en