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[Suicide over weekend leave--a seldom regarded risk factor]
U Hoffmann-Richter1, A Bullinger, C Oesterreich
1Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Basel.
Objective:
The study aims at differentiating qualitative and quantitative aspects of inpatient suicide on weekdays and during the weekend.
Method:
51 consecutive suicides in a large psychiatric hospital were analysed retrospectively.
Results:
14 of 51 suicides occurred during weekend leave, most of them on a Saturday or Sunday. The rate of suicides in the hospital on a Saturday or Sunday is extremely low.
Conclusion:
Weekend leave from inpatient treatment must be considered as a risk factor of its own.
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