Suicides in ethnic minorities within 12 months of contact with mental health services. National clinical survey.
BACKGROUND
Information on suicide by psychiatric patients from ethnic minority groups is scarce.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the number of patients from ethnic minorities who kill themselves; to describe their suicide methods, and their social and clinical characteristics.


METHODS
A national clinical survey was based on a 4-year sample of suicides in England and Wales. Detailed data were collected on those who had been in contact with mental health services in the year before death.


RESULTS
In total 282 patients from ethnic minorities died by suicide--6% of all patient suicides. The most common method of suicide was hanging; violent methods were more common than in White patient suicides. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis. Ethnic minority patients were more likely to have been unemployed than White patients and to have had a history of violence and recent non-compliance. In around half, this was the first episode of self-harm. Black Caribbean patients had the highest rates of schizophrenia (74%), unemployment, living alone, previous violence and drug misuse.


CONCLUSIONS
In order to reduce the number of suicides by ethnic minority patients, services should address the complex health and social needs of people with severe mental illness.
Hunt
Isabelle M
IM
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, Manchester, UK.
Robinson
Jo
J
Bickley
Harriet
H
Meehan
Janet
J
Parsons
Rebecca
R
McCann
Kerry
K
Flynn
Sandra
S
Burns
James
J
Shaw
Jenny
J
Kapur
Navneet
N
Appleby
Louis
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D002423:Cause of Death; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology*; D014478:Unemployment; D014754:Violence; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology