Psychiatric unit suicides fall to record low

Suicides by patients treated in psychiatric units have fallen to a new low, new figures show.

But the study also warns the risk of people taking their lives after discharge from hospital could be increasing and deaths in people under the care of specialist services such as crisis resolution teams are also going up.

Experts at Manchester University said the rate of inpatient suicide fell by around 30 per cent between 1997 and 2008, with nearly 100 fewer deaths per year. The biggest falls were among young patients and those with schizophrenia.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nav Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the university, said: “Suicide rates have fallen faster than in the general population and against a backdrop where inpatients have had more complex needs. Increased awareness of risk, a safer ward environment and improved professional practice could be key factors in these positive trends.

“But, as inpatient services are now dealing with patients who may be more unwell than in the past, swift and effective support for people following discharge has become even more important.

“We also need to keep a careful watch on suicide in services and settings which are alternatives to inpatient admission.”