A database review in C-L psychiatry: characteristics of hospitalized suicide attempters

A computerized database was used to study the characteristics of psychiatric consultations in patients admitted to nonpsychiatric services. The authors reviewed a consultation practice with suicide attempters over a four-year period and compared the patients with a patient sample matched for gender and age also seen by the service. For suicide attempters, the time elapsed between admission to the service and the consultation, as well as the lengths of stay, were significantly shorter. Suicide attempters were significantly more likely to have mood disorders and Axis II disorders. The authors review the role of consultation psychiatrists with these patients and suggest that a triage model fits the services provided and the needs of nonpsychiatric physicians.