Deliberate self-harm patients who leave the accident and emergency department without a psychiatric assessment: a neglected population at risk of suicide.
OBJECTIVE
Deliberate self-harm (DSH) patients, despite their risk of suicide, are often discharged directly from accident and emergency (A&E) departments without undergoing a psychiatric assessment. The aims of this study were to determine the characteristics and outcome of these patients.


METHODS
The characteristics of DSH patients who were discharged directly from an A&E department over a 2-year period were investigated, comparing those who had a psychiatric assessment with those who did not. In a matched control design, the outcome of a group of patients who did not receive a psychiatric assessment was compared with that of a group of patients who were assessed.


RESULTS
Of DSH patients who were discharged directly from the A&E department 58.9% (145/246) did not have a psychiatric assessment. Nonassessed patients were more likely to have a past history of DSH, to be in the 20-34 year age group, and to have exhibited difficult behaviour in the A&E department. Patients presenting between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. were less likely to be assessed than those attending between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Further DSH during the subsequent year occurred in 37.5% of the nonassessed patients compared with 18.2% of matched assessed patients. They were also more likely to have psychiatric treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
A substantial proportion of DSH patients discharged directly from A&E departments do not receive a psychiatric assessment. Nonassessed patients may be at greater risk of further DSH and completed suicide than those who are assessed. Hospital services need to be organised such that DSH patients managed in A&E departments can receive an assessment of psychosocial problems and risk.
Hickey
L
L
Centre for Suicide Research, Oxford University, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
Hawton
K
K
Fagg
J
J
Weitzel
H
H
D000328:Adult; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors