Suicidal ideation as a presenting complaint. Associated diagnoses and characteristics in a casualty population.
A prospective study was conducted of all referrals to the emergency psychiatric service of an inner-London hospital over one year. There were 53 individuals who presented with the specific and spontaneous complaint of suicidal ideation without any accompanying act of self-harm. The main diagnoses in this group were personality disorders (40%) and alcohol dependence (15%); only 13% were suffering from depressive illness. Members of the group differed from the other 369 presenters to the service in that they were less likely to be accorded a diagnosis of a defined mental illness, twice as likely to have a criminal record, and more likely to have a previous history of deliberate self-harm. A quarter of the suicidal complainants were admitted to hospital following assessment.
Hawley
C J
CJ
Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham.
James
D V
DV
Birkett
P L
PL
Baldwin
D S
DS
de Ruiter
M J
MJ
Priest
R G
RG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs