TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Emergency department visits prior to suicide and homicide JO - Crisis A1 - Cerel, Julie A1 - Singleton, Michael D. A1 - Brown, Margaret M. A1 - Brown, Sabrina V. A1 - Bush, Heather M. A1 - Brancato, Candice J. SP - 5 EP - 12 VL - 37 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (EDs) serve a wide range of patients who present at risk of impending suicide and homicide. AIMS: Two statewide surveillance systems were probabilistically linked to understand who utilizes EDs and then dies violently within 6 weeks.

METHOD: Each identified case was matched with four randomly selected controls on sex, race, date of birth, resident zip code, and date of ED visit vs. date of death. Matched-pair odds ratios were estimated by conditional logistic regression to assess differences between cases and controls on reported diagnoses and expected payment sources.

RESULTS: Of 1,599 suicides and 569 homicides in the 3-year study period, 10.7% of decedents who died by suicide (x = 13.6 days) and 8.3% who died by homicide (x = 16.3 days) were seen in a state ED within 6 weeks prior to death. ED attendees who died by suicide were more likely to have a diagnosis of injury/ poisoning diagnosis or mental disorder and more likely to have Medicare. Those who died by homicide were more likely to have a diagnosis of injury/poisoning and less likely to have commercial insurance.

CONCLUSION: It is essential for research to further explore risk factors for imminent suicide and homicide in ED patients who present for psychiatric conditions and general injuries.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0227-5910 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000354 ID - ref1 ER -