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Citation |
Hunt IM, Kapur N, Robinson J, Shaw J, Flynn SM, Bailey H, Meehan J, Bickley H, Burns J, Appleby L, Parsons R. Br. J. Psychiatry 2006; 188: 135-142. |
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Affiliation |
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Louis.appleby@manchester.ac.uk. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2006, Royal College of Psychiatry) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
16449700 |
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Abstract |
BACKGROUND: Suicide prevention is a health service priority but the most effective approaches to prevention may differ between different patient groups. AIMS: To describe social and clinical characteristics in cases of suicide from different age and diagnostic groups. METHOD: A national clinical survey of a 4-year (1996-2000) sample of cases of suicide in England and Wales where there had been recent (<1 year) contact with mental health services (n=4859). RESULTS: Deaths of young patients were characterised by jumping from a height or in front of a vehicle, schizophrenia, personality disorder, unemployment and substance misuse. In older patients, drowning, depression, living alone, physical illness, recent bereavement and suicide pacts were more common. People with schizophrenia were often in-patients and died by violent means. About a third of people with depressive disorder died within a year of illness onset. Those with substance dependence or personality disorder had high rates of disengagement from services. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention measures likely to benefit young people include targeting schizophrenia, dual diagnosis and loss of service contact; those aimed at depression, isolation and physical ill-health should have more effect on elderly people. |