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Environmental Risk Factors in Hospital Suicide
Author(s) -
Lieberman Danile Z.,
Resnik Harvey L. P.,
HolderPerkins Vicenzio
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.34.4.448.53740
Subject(s) - accreditation , medicine , commission , unit (ring theory) , medical emergency , patient safety , hospital accreditation , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , health care , emergency medicine , poison control , psychology , mathematics education , finance , economic growth , pathology , economics , medical education
Suicide of hospitalized patients is the most common sentinel event reviewed by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Shorter lengths of stay, sicker patients, and higher patient to staff ratios challenge the ability of the hospital to maintain safety. Risk factors associated with the physical environment of the inpatient psychiatric unit, cited as the most common root cause of inpatient suicide, may be neglected because evaluation of these factors is generally not included in medical education and training. Minimization of fixtures that can facilitate strangulation and other high risk aspects within the hospital environment is an important element in the prevention of suicide on psychiatric units.