Using the Delphi Method for determining key performance elements for delivery of optimal suicide-specific interventions in emergency departments

Objective: Evidence-based suicide prevention interventions directed to those seeking psychiatric crisis services for suicidality in the emergency department (ED) can reduce death by suicide and related suffering. Best practice guidelines for the care of suicidal patients in the ED exist but are not accompanied by fidelity tools for use in determining whether the interventions were applied, […]

Suicide attempts by adolescents assisted in an emergency department: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: to identify and characterize the care provided to adolescents admitted to an emergency department due to a suicide attempt. Methods: an observational, cross sectional, descriptive study with a retrospective approach, carried out with medical records of adolescents aged 10 to 19 admitted for suicide attempts, between January 2015 and July 2020, in an emergency […]

Time of self‑harm presentations to hospital emergency departments: A scoping review

Background The time at which a self-harm presentation occurs has been shown to be a significant factor as to whether a patient receives a psychiatric assessment or not, which may benefit the patient’s future care. This scoping review sought to identify studies that report on the peak time of day for self-harm presentations to hospital […]

Assessing the healthcare utilization of youth who died by suicide: A case-control study

Objective Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ten years old or older. Healthcare utilization prior to death by suicide is high in adults, but there is conflicting evidence in youth. The objective of this study was to compare healthcare utilization in youth who died by suicide to youth who died in […]

Prediction of suicide attempts and suicide-related events among adolescents seen in emergency departments

Objective  To compare the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) instrument with the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth (CASSY) instrument for the prediction of suicidal behavior among adolescents seen in EDs, across demographic and clinical strata. Design, Setting, and Participants  The Emergency Department Study for Teens at Risk for Suicide is a prospective, random-series, multicenter cohort study that […]

User feedback on the use of a natural language processing application to screen for suicide risk in the emergency department

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the USA and globally. Despite decades of research, the ability to predict who will die by suicide is still no better than 50%. Traditional screening instruments have helped identify risk factors for suicide, but they have not provided accurate predictive power for reducing death rates. Over […]

Temporal trends and characteristics of adult patients in emergency department related to suicide attempt or self-harm in Korea, 2016-2020

Background: The implementation of an effective suicide prevention program requires the identification and monitoring of subpopulations with elevated risks for suicide in consideration of demographic characteristics to facilitate the development of tailored countermeasures for tackling the risk factors of suicide. We examined the annual trends in emergency department (ED) visits for suicide attempts (SAs) or […]

A following wave pattern of suicide-related pediatric emergancy room admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and response, which included physical distancing and stay-at-home orders, disrupted the daily lives of children and adolescents, isolating them from their peers, school, and other meaningful contacts. The present study aims to add to the accumulating evidence on the pandemic’s impact on child and adolescent suicidal behavior. Data were extracted from Schneider […]

Self-harm emergency department visits in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a sentinel surveillance system

Background: Self-harm is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, though the prevalence tends to be highest among adolescents. As an indicator in suicide surveillance, the incidence of self-harm is useful because it is sensitive to social, environmental, and economic conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemiology of self-harm has varied across contexts. This study […]

Innovative suicide prevention safety planning in the ED involves peers

Observing that the emergency department (ED) is an important site for suicide prevention efforts and noting that safety planning has been identified as a best practice for suicide prevention among ED patients at increased suicide risk, researchers have embarked on first-time research examining such efforts.

Profiles of patients using emergency departments or hospitalized for suicidal behaviors

Objectives This study identified profiles of patients with suicidal behaviors, their sociodemographic and clinical correlates, and assessed the risk of death within a 12-month follow-up period. Methods Based on administrative databases, this 5-year study analyzed data on 5064 patients in Quebec who used emergency departments (ED) or were hospitalized for suicidal behaviors over a 2-year […]

Co-creating safe spaces: Study protocol for translational research on innovative alternatives to the emergency department for people experiencing emotional distress and/ or suicidal crisis

Introduction Safe spaces are an alternative to emergency departments, which are often unable to provide optimum care for people experiencing emotional distress and/or suicidal crisis. At present, there are several different safe space models being trialled in Australia. However, research examining the effectiveness of safe space models, especially in community settings, is rare. In this […]

Mental health-related emergency department visits in adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicentric retrospective study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare pre/post-COVID-19 changes in mental health–related emergency department visits among adolescents. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of all mental health–related emergency department visits in two large tertiary pediatric hospital centers between January 2018 and December 2020. We described monthly pre/post-COVID-19 changes in frequency and proportion of mental […]

Hospital presenting suicidal ideation: A systematic review

Background Research indicates that the emergency department is the primary setting for people to present with suicidal ideation. Attempting to provide interventions for this population depends greatly on understanding their needs and life circumstances at the time of presentation to services, therefore enabling more appropriate treatment pathways and services to be provided. Aim This review […]

Borderline personality disorder in the emergency department: Good psychiatric management

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are high utilizers of psychiatric emergency services and present unique challenges in that setting. Frequently advised to visit an emergency department (ED) if safety is in question, their experiences once there often do not have beneficial effects. Issues specific to patients with BPD in the ED include volatile interactions […]

Nonwillingness to return to the emergency department and nonattendance of follow-up care arrangements following an initial suicide-related presentation

Background: For people experiencing a suicidal crisis the emergency department (ED) is often the only option to find help. Aims: The aims of this study were (a) to identify predictors of patients’ nonwillingness to return to the ED for help with a future suicidal crisis, and (b) whether nonwillingness to return was associated with follow-up appointment nonattendance. Method: This study […]

A shelter in the storm: Acceptability and feasibility of a brief clinical intervention for suicidal crisis

Background: People attending the emergency department (ED) for suicidal crisis are at significantly higher risk of taking their own lives in the week following discharge. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a brief clinical aftercare intervention provided through Allied Health Brief Therapies (AHBTs) Clinics. Method: Consecutive referrals (n = 149) to the clinics following assessment in […]

Trends in suicidal ideation-related emergency department visits for youth in Illinois: 2016-2021

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Increasing suicide rates and emergency department (ED) mental abstract health visits reflect deteriorating mental health among American youth. This  population-based study analyzes trends in ED visits for suicidal ideation (SI) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: We analyzed Illinois hospital administrative data for ED visits coded for SI […]

Time of self‑harm presentations to hospital emergency departments: A scoping review

Background: The time at which a self-harm presentation occurs has been shown to be a significant factor as to whether a patient receives a psychiatric assessment or not, which may benefit the patient’s future care. This scoping review sought to identify studies that report on the peak time of day for self-harm presentations to hospital Emergency […]

Suicide presentations to an emergency department pre and during the COVID lockdown, March-May 2020, in Spain

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown may affect suicide risk and behavior. We compared suicide-related presentations during the national quarantine with pre-COVID data. This observational incidence study compared all suicide-related presentations at the University Hospital Reina Sofia emergency department (ED) in Cordoba, Spain, for the lockdown period from 15 March to 15 May […]

Single, fixed-dose intranasal ketamine for alleviation of acute suicidal ideation. An emergency department, trans-diagnostic approach: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial

Background Suicidal patients often present to the emergency department, where specific anti-suicidal treatment is lacking. Ketamine, a Glutamate modulator and a rapidly acting antidepressant with anti-suicidal properties, might offer relief. Aims Evaluation of single, fixed-dosed intranasal ketamine for acute suicidal ideation in the emergency department. Methods Between August 2016 and April 2018, 30 eligible suicidal […]

A longitudinal study of correlates, discharge disposition, and rate of re-presentation to emergency services of adults who engage in non-suicidal self-injury

Objective In DSM-5, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA) are classified as distinct disorders in the section of conditions for further study. However, some have questioned the validity of distinguishing NSSI from SA. The objective of this study was to longitudinally examine the correlates, discharge disposition, and rate of re-presentation to emergency services of […]

Changes after emergency assessment of suicidal patients: An unexpected outcome

Introduction Acute Suicide Risk (ASR) is widely evaluated at Emergency Departments (ED). Little is known about follow-up of ASR after psychiatric ED evaluation, and if there are differences within No ASR (NASR) counterparts at baseline and afterwards. Method We developed a naturalistic, 3-month follow-up study of adult patients from a psychiatric ED in Mexico City. […]