MedPage Today (5/19, Susman) reports research presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting found that “people who died by suicide frequently presented to hospitals within the previous year, indicating that these visits could be an opportunity for suicide risk assessment.” Researchers observed that “among 1,924 people who died by suicide, 57.5% had visited a hospital between >7 to <365 days of their death, with 45.9% of visits categorized as related to mental health.” They said “of these visits, 51.1% were related to substance abuse, 16.7% were related to suicidal ideation and substance abuse, and 12.3% were related to self-harm.” Researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest that visits with substance abuse-related concerns may present opportunities for delivery of novel suicide screenings and interventions in hospital settings, particularly in the emergency department environment.” Related Links:
— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)