Suicide rates among public mental health patients

Age-specific suicide rates are presented, based on 207 white patients of the Missouri Department of Mental Health who were identified as having committed suicide during 1972-74. Results, divided by age, sex, diagnosis and patient status, are compared with other studies. Male inpatients are about five times more likely to commit suicide compared to the general population, while female inpatients are about 10 times more likely to do so. In both sexes, the rate is greatest for the diagnosis of major affective disorder. A history of psychiatric treatment increases the suicide risk more for women than for men, although male patients are still about twice as likely to commit suicide than are female patients. A quantitative model is presented which describes the relative influence of age, sex and diagnosis on suicide rates.