The Wessex Recent In-Patient Suicide Study, 2: Case-Control Study of 59 In-Patient Suicides

This paper discusses a retrospective case-control study of 59 inpatient suicides & 106 controls, matched for age, gender, diagnosis, & admission date. There were seven independent increased-risk factors: history of deliberate self-harm, admission under the Mental Health Act, involvement of the police in admission, depressive symptoms, violence towards property, going absent without leave, & a significant care professional being on leave. When compared with outpatient suicides, inpatients were more often female & male inpatients had a psychotic illness. Unlike outpatient suicides, social factors were not found to be significant among inpatients. Identified risk factors had relatively low sensitivity & specificity. (13 refs.)