Citation

Poulin C, Houle J, Van Nieuwenhuyse H. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 144.

Affiliation

Montreal Public Health Department, 1301 Sherbrooke, East, H2L 1M3 Montreal, Canada. cpoulin@santepub-mtl.qc.ca.

Copyright

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

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964141

Abstract

The goal of this exploratory study is to document the services received by people who present to a hospital emergency department in Quebec following a suicide attempt. More specifically, the objectives are: 1) to describe the services received in emergency departments and suicidal individuals' assessments of these services; 2) to describe the follow-up obtained in the community following discharge from emergency; and 3) to describe compliance with treatment and identify its determinants. The study focused on 50 people admitted to emergency following a suicide attempt. Two semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with each participant; the first was two weeks after they were discharged, and the second six weeks later. Variables under study included interventions conducted in the emergency department, services received after discharge, assessment of the services received, and compliance with treatment. This study shows that a significant proportion of suicidal individuals are not given follow-up once they have been discharged. Failings in bridging mechanisms that link hospitals and community resources have been observed. Findings from this exploratory research have yielded several suggestions for improving follow-up for people who have attempted suicide.

Language: en