[Crisis intervention and psychiatric mortality]

Since mortality and suicide were found markedly increased in hospitalized psychiatric patients and may be predicted by treatment assignment, we developed a prospective investigation of treatment choice/mortality and suicide relationships in a well-assessed sample of these subjects. The overall psychiatric patients calling for inpatient care in a Geneva (Switzerland) 115,000 inhabitants catchment area within 2 months (N = 78) entered the study. During the second follow-up year, we found high Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR respectively 10.5 for overall deaths and 257.7 for suicides). Increased number and crude rates of suicide were associated to emergency intervention only assignment at intake. Suicide risk was underestimated in subjects with acute psychiatric illness, and should be better investigated in the future.