Nine psychiatric inpatients who leaped from a height.
The authors describe nine psychiatric inpatients from the same hospital who leaped from a height. Common features included youth, social isolation, diagnosis of schizophrenia, and chronic psychosis despite neuroleptic therapy. All had prolonged hospitalizations and a history of assaults, suicide attempts, or both. The authors suggest that these characteristics in conjunction with a recent change in hospital treatment plan or loss of social supports may identify patients at high-risk for violent self-destructive acts.
D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000523:psychology; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000523:psychology; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*