title: A possible clinical classification for the psychopathology of suicidal intent among psychiatric inpatients committing suicide.
abstract: Mental health professionals are poor at predicting suicides. A study of inpatient suicides over 21 years allowed an opportunity to develop a potentially useful clinical classification of the psychopathology of Suicidal intent. One hundred and three inpatient suicides in a large mental hospital were examined. Although case notes of 93 suicide patients were available for detailed examination, only 33 case notes had sufficient data for classification of suicidal intent. Possible categories for classifying suicidal intent were developed, and four were identified: ambivalent, concealed, mixed and continuous. Evidence for the face validity of these concepts was provided by the clinical case-histories. The classification was reviewed in the context of the existing literature, which provided further evidence in support of its validity. This classification, if replicated, would be clinically helpful and might assist further improvement in the management of psychiatric inpatients.
authors.affiliation: Honorary Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry of Old Age, Imperial College, School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganesvaran
keywords: inpatient suicides; psychopathology; suicidal intent