Abstract
Retrospective review of patients' charts and other records was used to collect data on diagnoses, psychosocial characteristics, and subsequent suicide attempts of 45 patients who made contingent suicide threats, defined as threatened suicide or exaggerated suicidality reported to increase the likelihood of hospital admission, and 92 suicidal patients who did not make such threats. Patients who made contingent suicide threats were more likely to be substance dependent, antisocial, homeless, unmarried, and in legal difficulty. Subsequent suicide attempts were uncommon in both groups. The authors suggest that hospitalization should not be used as a substitute for social services, substance abuse treatment, and legal assistance for patients who make contingent suicide threats.
MeSH terms
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Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Antisocial Personality Disorder / epidemiology
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Antisocial Personality Disorder / psychology
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Antisocial Personality Disorder / rehabilitation
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Comorbidity
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Data Collection
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Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry)
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Female
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Health Services Misuse / statistics & numerical data*
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Humans
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Ill-Housed Persons / psychology
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Ill-Housed Persons / statistics & numerical data
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Male
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Mental Disorders / epidemiology
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Mental Disorders / psychology
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Mental Disorders / rehabilitation
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Middle Aged
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Patient Admission / statistics & numerical data*
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Patient Care Team / statistics & numerical data
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Retrospective Studies
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Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
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Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
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Substance-Related Disorders / rehabilitation
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Suicide, Attempted / prevention & control
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Suicide, Attempted / psychology
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Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data*
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Texas / epidemiology