Minimising in-patient suicides

In-patient suicide accounts for around 10% of all suicides among individuals who are in contact with mental health services over the course of a year, according to the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (University of Manchester, 2014). This has serious implications for clinicians, patients and services. Finding ways to increase awareness of suicide risks in psychiatric wards is a challenge faced by mental healthcare professionals who are required to put preventative measures in place.

This module reviews the characteristics of in-patient suicide and analyses the trends over the years. The role of environmental risk factors is described with an emphasis on prevention, along with an overview of the various clinical measures that can minimise in-patient suicide. This includes a section on the risk factor approach of predicting in-patient suicide. Quizzes, graphs and interactive exercises are used throughout the module to illustrate key findings.