Attempted Suicide in Bavarian Mental Hospitals (IN: Psychiatry: The State of the Art, v.1)

The author investigates the incidence of suicide or suicide attempts in 10 Bavarian mental hospitals during the periods 1950-1959 & 1967-1976. The purpose of this study was to indentify factors in mental hospitals that could precipitate suicide attempts & also to determine if suicide attempts in such hospitals have increased during the time periods specified. An unexpected finding was that attempted suicides increased as the staff/patient ratio increased. 20 ref. (NBB)