Year: 1980 Source: Psychiatric Quarterly, v.52, no.3, (Fall 1980), p.201-213 SIEC No: 20010992

Suicides at 5 state hospitals for the mentally ill in New York City were studied over a 32-month period. The suicide rates at the individual hospitals appeared to be primarily related to the acuteness of the inpatient population & secondarily to the socioeconomic & ethnic characteristics of the inpatient population. White young Puerto Rican male, better educated female involuntarily committed, schizophrenic & affective disordered patients were overrepresented in the suicide group. 2 profiles of psychiatric inpatients at high risk for suicide were constructed from the clinical data. Recommendations are made for reducing inpatient suicides. (10 refs.)