title: Suicide-specific Safety in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.
abstract: In total, 75% of suicides reported to the Joint Commission as sentinel events since 1995, have occurred in psychiatric settings. Ensuring patient safety is one of the primary tasks of inpatient psychiatric units. A review of inpatient suicide-specific safety components, inclusive of incidence and risk; guidelines for evidence-based care; environmental safety; suicide risk assessment; milieu observation and monitoring; psychotherapeutic interventions; and documentation is provided. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) has been recognized as an exemplar system in suicide prevention. A VA inpatient psychiatric unit is used to illustrate the operationalization of a culture of suicide-specific safety. We conclude by describing preliminary unit outcomes and acknowledging limitations of suicide-specific inpatient care and gaps in the current inpatient practices and research on psychotherapeutic interventions, observation, and monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Mental Health Service Line , Charleston, South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Myrick
authors.forename: Dorian A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lamis
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Pelic
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rhue
authors.forename: Collete
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rhue
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: York
mesh_terms: D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D061214:Patient Safety; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention