Suicide mortality and risk factors in the 12 months after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care in Korea: 1989-2006.
This study aimed to determine the suicide mortality within 1 year after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care and identify the risk factors for suicide completion during this period. A total of 8403 patients were admitted to general hospitals in Seoul, Korea, for psychiatric disorders from January 1989 to December 2006. The suicide mortality risk of these patients within 1 year of discharge was compared with that of gender- and age-matched subjects from the general population of Korea. The standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for suicide in the year following discharge were 49.7 for males and 45.5 for females. Patients aged 15-24 years had the highest risk for suicide. Among the different diagnostic groups, patients with personality disorders, schizophrenia, or affective disorders had the highest risk for suicide completion. Suicidal ideation at admission and inpatient stay more than 1 month were also associated with increased risk of suicide. In Korean psychiatric patients, the SMR is much higher in young female patients, a high percentage of patients commit suicide by jumping, and there is a stronger association of long duration of hospitalization and suicide. These factors should be considered in the development and implementation of suicide prevention strategies for Korean psychiatric patients.
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Subin
S
Park
Jae Won
JW
Choi
Ki
K
Kyoung Yi
Jin Pyo
JP
Hong
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*