Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:24:40.656Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Suicide in psychiatric inpatients in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Eleanor Corcoran  and
Dermot Walsh
Eleanor Corcoran
Affiliation:
St Conal's Hospital, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, Ireland.
Dermot Walsh
Affiliation:
Health Research Board, 73 Lower Baggot St, Dublin, Ireland.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To establish suicide rates of psychiatric inpatients in Ireland and the characteristics, demographic, social and medical, of the patients involved.

Method: Clinical, post mortem and inquest data on all such deaths from 1983-1992 were examined. Suicide rates were calculated using ‘person year method’.

Results: The suicide rate for short stay inpatients (stay less than one year) was 319/100,000, and 118/100,000 for long stay patients. The average duration of illness at time of suicide was 10 years. A fourfold increase in suicide rate of inpatients over the century was associated with a similar increase in the suicide rate in the general population. Thirty five per cent of suicides were aged 25-34 years. The risk of suicide was higher the shorter the time interval after admission. Three quarters of suicide deaths in registered inpatients occurred away from hospital grounds.

Conclusions: Social factors which contribute to an increase in the suicide rate in the general population are relevant to the increase in hospital inpatient suicides. More effective and comprehensive services to meet the needs of those with severe mental illness, particularly young adults, are essential. The results emphasise the importance of managing inpatients in a safe, secure environment. The person year method is appropriate for monitoring changes in suicide rates.

Keywords

Social factorsSuicide
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , December 1999 , pp. 127 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Hesso, R. Suicide in Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish psychiatric hospitals. Archiv for Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. 1977; 224: 119–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Salmons, PH. Suicide in high buildings. Br J Psychiar 1984; 145: 469–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Sainsbury, P. Suicide: opinion and facts. R Soc Med 1973; 66: 579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Crammer, JJ. The special characteristics of suicide in hospital inpatients. Br J Psychiat 1984; 145: 460–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Wolfersdorf, M, Keller, F, Schmidt-Michael, P, Weiskittel, C, Vogel, R, Hole, G. Are hospital suicides on the increase? Social Psychiat Epid 1988; 23: 207–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.World Health Organisation. Changing patterns in suicide behaviour. Euro Report and Studies 74 WHO, Copenhagen 1982.Google Scholar
7.Morgan, HG. Suicide prevention. Hazards on the fast road to community care. Br J Psychiat 1992; 160: 149–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Proulx, Fet al.100 inpatient suicides in Montreal 1997; 171: 247–250.Google Scholar
9.Walsh, D, Cullen, A, Cullivan, R, O'Donnell, B. Do statistics lie? Suicide in Kildare and in Ireland. J Psych Med 1990; 20: 867–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Kelleher, MJ, Dalv, M. Suicide in Ireland. Br J Psychiat 1990; 157: 533–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Morgan, G. Suicide in psychiatric hospital. To what extent is it preventable? In: Hawton, K, Cowen, P (eds). Dilemmas and difficulties in the management of psychiatric patients. Oxford Universiry Press 1990; 77–89.Google Scholar
12.Department of Health. Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals 1992. Dublin. The Stationery Office, 1992.Google Scholar
13.Health Research Board (1983-1992). Activities of Irish Psychiatric Hospitals and Units. Dublin, (various years).Google Scholar
14.Commissioners in Lunacy: Further report of the Commissioners of Lunacy to the Lord Chancellor on Lunatic Asylums in Ireland. 1885-1895 Dublin.Google Scholar
15.Coakley, GM, Carey, TG, Owens, JM. A study of psychiatric inpatient suicides. Ir J Psych Med 1996; 13(3): 102–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Fernando, S, Storm, U. Suicide among psychiatric patients of a district general hospital. J Psych Med 1984; 14: 661–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.McCarthy, PD, Walsh, D. Suicide in Dublin. BMJ 1966; 1: 1393–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Kelleher, MJ. Youth Suicide. Trends in the Republic of Ireland. Br I Psychiat 1998; 173, 196–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Walsh, D. A century of suicide in Ireland. J Ir Med Assoc 1976; 69(6): 144–52.Google Scholar
20.Goh, SF, Salmons, P, Whittington. Hospital suicides, are there preventable factors? BrJ Psychiat 1989; 154: 247–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Copas, JB, Robin, A. Suicide in psychiatric patients. Br J Psychiat 1982; 141: 503–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Gardner, R. Surveillance of patients at risk. In: Morgan, HG (ed). The clinical management of suicide risk. R Soc Med 1988; 21–3.Google Scholar
23.Heinssen, RK, McGlashan, TH. Predicting hospital discharge status for patients with schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorders, borderline personality disorder, and unipolar affective disorder. Arch Gen Psychiat 1988; 45: 353–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Eastwood, MR, Peacocke, JE. Suicide – diagnosis and age. Can Psychiat Assoc J 1975; 20(6): 447–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Goldacre, M, Seagroatt, V, Hawton, K. Suicide after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. Lancet 1993; 342: 283–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.King, E, Barracloueh, B. Violent death and mental illness. Br J Psychiat 1990; 156:714–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Walsh, D, McGauran, S, Lohan, R, Sheehan, J, O'Donnell, B. Suicide in County Kildare. Irish J Psychiat 1995; 16: 7–9.Google Scholar