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Psychiatric in-patient suicide rates: a 21-year study
1NEMPS, Victoria, Australia.
Medicine, Science, and the Law
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Psychiatric in-patient suicide rates decreased after 1987, potentially due to the Mental Health Act. However, recent upward trends and hospital amalgamation effects warrant further investigation into patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- In-patient suicide is a critical concern in psychiatric care.
- Understanding trends and influencing factors is vital for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze psychiatric in-patient suicide rates over a 21-year period (1973-1993).
- To investigate the impact of the Mental Health Act (1987) and hospital amalgamation on suicide rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of hospital death register data.
- Calculation of annual suicide rates per 1,000 admissions.
- Statistical comparison of rates before and after 1987.
Main Results:
- An overall in-patient suicide rate of 3.68 per 1,000 admissions was recorded.
- Suicide rates were significantly lower in the period after 1987 compared to before.
- A significant upward trend in suicide rates was observed in the final three study years.
Conclusions:
- The Mental Health Act of 1987 may have contributed to a reduction in psychiatric in-patient suicides.
- Hospital amalgamation may have had an adverse effect, potentially increasing suicide rates.
- Ongoing monitoring is crucial, especially given recent upward trends.