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Usual Care for Emergency Department Patients Who Present with Suicide Risk: A Survey of Hospital Procedures in Washington State

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Hospital emergency departments (EDs) are important settings for the implementation of effective suicide-specific care. Usual care for suicidal patients who present to EDs remains understudied. This study surveyed EDs in Washington State to assess the adoption of written procedures for recommended standards of care for treating suicidality. Most (N = 79, 84.9%) of the 93 EDs in Washington State participated. Most (n = 58, 73.4%) hospitals had a written protocol for suicide risk assessment, but half (n = 42, 53.2%) did not include documentation of access to lethal means. There was evidence of an association between patient volume and the adoption of suicide-specific protocols and procedures. Our findings suggest the need to enhance the adoption and implementation of recommended standard care in this setting.

Source: Archives of Suicide Research

DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2019.1635932

Authors: Eric Zhou, Christopher R. DeCou, Jennifer Stuber, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Kosuke Kume, Frederick P. Rivara

Institutions: Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development