Hospital Suicides: Are There Preventable Factors? Profile of the Psychiatric Hospital Suicide

This article describes the examination of coroner’s & hospital records for 57 suicide patients. The patients were generally chronically ill & risk of suicide continued indefinitely after diagnosis. Risk was recorded in medical notes for 16 patients & in nursing notes for 12, but only 6 patients were under special observation. 1/2 of the patients were thought to be improving at the time of their death. Nursing & environmental factors in suicides need more attention to identify those at risk. (CM)