title: Suicide following attempted suicide: a study of an unsuccessful intervention.
abstract: Unsuccessful interventions are often the best way to improve methods and techniques. This article presents a case study of a 55-year-old housewife who committed suicide after psychiatric inpatient treatment following a previous severe suicide attempt. The social and psychological situation of the patient is described, with special emphasis on her relationships with her husband, the therapist, and the other staff members on the ward. The steps in her "suicidal career" are described. The article then discusses the significance of this case, and the conclusions that were drawn by the therapy team about how inpatient treatment after suicide attempts could be better managed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Etzersdorfer
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D017211:Treatment Failure; D000092864:Suicide Prevention