Deaths by suicide and their relationship with general and psychiatric hospital discharge: 30-year record linkage study.
BACKGROUND
Studies have rarely explored suicides completed following discharge from both general and psychiatric hospital settings. Such research might identify additional opportunities for intervention.


OBJECTIVE
To identify and summarise Scottish psychiatric and general hospital records for individuals who have died by suicide.


METHODS
A linked data study of deaths by suicide, aged ≥15 years from 1981 to 2010.


RESULTS
This study reports on a UK data-set of individuals who died by suicide (n = 16 411), of whom 66% (n = 10 907) had linkable previous hospital records. Those who died by suicide were 3.1 times more frequently last discharged from general than from psychiatric hospitals; 24% of deaths occurred within 3 months of hospital discharge (58% of these from a general hospital). Only 14% of those discharged from a general hospital had a recorded psychiatric diagnosis at last visit; an additional 19% were found to have a previous lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. Median time between last discharge and death was fourfold greater in those without a psychiatric history. Diagnoses also revealed that less than half of those last discharged from general hospital had had a main diagnosis of 'injury or poisoning'.


CONCLUSIONS
Suicide prevention activity, including a better psychiatric evaluation of patients within general hospital settings deserves more attention. Improved information flow between secondary and primary care could be facilitated by exploiting electronic records of previous psychiatric diagnoses.
Nadine Dougall, MSc, NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling; Paul Lambert, PhD, School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling; Margaret Maxwell, PhD, NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling; Alison Dawson, PhD, School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling; Richard Sinnott, PhD, University of Melbourne, Melbourne; Susan McCafferty, MSc, National eScience Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow; Carole Morris, BSc, David Clark BSc, Anthea Springbett, PhD, Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland, Edinburgh, UK.
Nadine
N
Dougall
Paul
P
Lambert
Margaret
M
Maxwell
Alison
A
Dawson
Richard
R
Sinnott
Susan
S
McCafferty
Carole
C
Morris
David
D
Clark
Anthea
A
Springbett
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012042:Registries; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention