title: Suicidal ideation as a presenting complaint. Associated diagnoses and characteristics in a casualty population.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Birkett
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Ruiter
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Priest
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs