The Wessex recent in-patient suicide study, 2 - Case-control study of 59 in-patient suicides

Background Psychiatric patients have an elevated risk of suicide while in h ospital. Aims To compare social, clinical and health-care delivery factors in in-pat ient and out-patient suicides and their controls. Method Retrospective case-control study of 59 in-patients and 106 controls. matched for age, gender, diagnosis and admission date. Odds ratios were ca lculated using conditional multiple logistic regression. Results There were seven independent increased-risk factors: history of del iberate self-harm, admission under the Mental Health Act. involvement of th e police in admission, depressive symptoms, violence towards property, goin g absent without leave and a significant care professional being on leave. When compared with out-patient suicides, in-patients were more often female and male in-patients had a psychotic illness. Unlike the out-patient suici des. social factors were not found to be significant. Conclusions The characteristics of inpatient and out-patient suicides diffe r. Identified risk factors have relatively low sensitivity and specificity. Declaration of interest This study was funded by the NHS South & West Resea rch and Development Directorate.