TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1997//
TI  - One hundred in-patient suicides
JO  - British journal of psychiatry
A1  - Proulx, F.
A1  - Lesage, A. D.
A1  - Grunberg, F.
SP  - 247
EP  - 250
VL  - 171
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: The study aimed to define the characteristics and assess the clinical predictability and possible prevention of psychiatric in-patient suicides. METHOD: The coroner's files on all suicides in the Greater Montreal Region from 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1991 were examined. The medical records of each case of suspected in-patient suicide were then reviewed and rated for predictability and preventive measures taken. RESULTS: A total of 3079 suicides were recorded over this five-year period (mean annual rate of 16.4 per 100,000 inhabitants). Of these, 104 (3.4%) involved hospital in-patients. Nearly half (48%) of these in-patient suicides occurred outside the hospital setting. The methods most frequently employed were hanging (36%) and jumping from high places (24%). Patients suffering from an affective disorder (45%) or schizophrenia (35%) comprised the majority of the sample. Suicides were significantly more predictable in general hospital psychiatric wards. Suicide prevention measures did not differ significantly across settings. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of in-patient suicides were not highly predictable. For highly predictable suicides, the results underline the importance of actively treating and protecting these patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0007-1250
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -