A Database Review in C-L Psychiatry: Characteristics of Hospitalized Suicide Attempters

The authors reviewed a consultation practice with suicide attempters over a 4-yr period & compared the patients with a patient sample matched for gender & age also seen by the service. For suicide attempters, the time elapsed between admission to the service & the consultation, as well as the lengths of stay, were significantly shorter. The authors review the role of consultation psychiatrists & suggest that a triage model fits the services provided & the needs of nonpsychiatric physicians.