SUICIDE OF PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS 1970-1993 IN BADEN-WURTTEMBERG (GERMANY)

The well-known fact of suicides of psychiatric inpatients during psych iatric hospital treatment is discussed according to national and inter national suicide data. In our Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany) Psychiatric Inpatient Suicide Study an increase in suicide and suicide rates from 1970 to 1993 can be shown with an mostly impressive increase in the 19 70s and a plateau formation in the 1980s and constant figures in the 1 990s. The group of 585 suicides (59% men, 41% women) is composed of: 2 6% primarily depressives, 53% schizophrenics (ICD-9); where the follow ing features were notable presuicidal syndrome with depressive mood (6 8%), insight into illness (63%), feelings of suffering (64%), Failure (57%), hopelessness (54%) and helplessness (54%).