title: A preliminary investigation of suicidality in psychiatrically hospitalized veterans with traumatic brain injury.
abstract: The objective of this study was to explore suicidal behaviors documented at time of discharge from acute psychiatric hospitalization. Data from 114 acute psychiatric admissions were reviewed for 22 veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Information extracted included presence of suicidal ideation, nature of suicide attempts, and TBI characteristics. The Lethality of Suicide Attempt Rating Scale was used to classify veterans' non-lethal self-harm behavior. Post-TBI, 6 patients (27.3%) made a total of 14 suicide attempts. Half of those attempts required wounds being sutured, stomach lavage, or other medical attention. Clinicians and researchers are strongly encouraged to focus increased attention on suicide prevention in those with a history of TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80220, USA. peter.gutierrez@va.gov
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Huggins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*