The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline100824-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. Make staff aware (especially SW) and include in Pt/Family discharge information for pts at risk/with relevant past history. Booklets available.
Suicide in secure psychiatric facilities1004 - By Gordon H.: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 8:408–417, 2002. contains useful lists of risk factors for various psychiatric illnesses and hospital settings
Systematic Screenings Crucial in Preventing Patient Suicides - The article provides a brief overview of a fairly standard suicide screening approach. However, it also reminds us that suicide is the second most common sentinel event reported in hospitals. 75% of those cases involved hanging while another 20% involved jumping from a roof or window. It should be noted that an estimated 70% of those who attempt hanging die and that the physical environment (including structures that support hanging) is a root cause in 73% of reported suicides. The bottom line of the article is its advocacy of suicide screening as part of the risk assessment of every patient that is required by NPSG.15.01.01. StEd may find this a useful item for an annual review packet. [Pearl] One of the article's sources was Suicide in secure psychiatric facilities1004 (By Harvey Gordon Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 8:408–417, 2002) that contains useful lists of risk factors for various psychiatric illnesses and hospital settings.
Mental Health Environment of Care Checklist1003 (MHEOCC.xls1003) - This is an outgrowth of the Veterans Affairs Patient Safety Workgroup whose Root Cause Analysis Database revealed that approximately 70% of VA suicides/attempted suicides were either hangings, cutting with a sharp object or drug overdoses, with hanging the largest category. Virtually all of the hangings used some environmental anchor that could be modified to reduce the risk of harm; and 39% of the cutting incidents used razor blades. Ergo this checklist. [Contrib by V. Knight, RN, PHD]
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