Activity related to suicide prevention in general hospitals

A new research led by Nadine Dougall of the University of Stirling proves that general hospitals are able to prevent suicide, by better following of individuals at risk and deep involving in mental health. The results of this research are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. The team of researchers analyzed data between 1981 and 2010 from Scotland which consisted of 16,411 suicides in people aged 15 and above. The researchers discovered that the majority of people who caused suicide were discharged from general hospitals, compared to psychiatric hospitals. “Targeted follow-up of people admitted to general hospital having self-harmed – in particular young men – and screening for psychological problems in those who have had a previous history of self-harming or of mental illness, could be beneficial. To do this, hospitals will need to make better use of historical and electronic health records. Hospitals would also need to ensure that all hospital staff are able to engage in basic mental health screening of `at risk` patients”.