Retrospective Analysis of Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts in a Large Population of Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

As opposed to suicide that is officially registered risk factors for suicide attempts are more difficult to establish. Therefore, a large data set of inpatients in a university hospital was transformed and analyzed for accompanying risk factors at admission of suicidal patients. Apart from standard hospital data additional items were also derived from medical records and follow-up entries. The initial data file consisted of 16,895 data sets (i.e., hospitalizations) from year 1985 until 2005 that was transformed into a final file with 5,146 consistent data sets covering 233 variables. The analysis is based on a main group classification into suicide attempts 'positive” and suicide attempts 'negative”. Statistical analysis was done with Mann-Whitney-U-Tests, CHI2, correlation coefficients (r and ϕCOLE) and logistic regression. Patients with suicide attempts were significantly younger and were at higher risk for personality disorder (RR=1.69, p By means of a large and elaborated data file of inpatients a profile of risk factors for attempted suicide was identified providing a basis for more close intervention during inpatient treatment and thereafter.