Abstract
The purpose of this study was to address two primary issues within the context of emergency commitment: (a) the suicide-prevention measures implemented at receiving facilities where emergency commitments occur and (b) the perceptions of key stakeholders about access to community services post-discharge. One hundred seventy-eight respondents who worked in receiving facilities, where emergency commitments occur, responded to an online survey or were interviewed. Respondents indicated the use of suicide-prevention measures such as suicide assessment tools used at intake and discharge and strategies utilized to maintain client safety when the issue of suicidality had been determined at intake. Almost half of respondents (46.6%) described the availability of community mental health treatment at discharge from emergency commitment as being “less than adequate.” Emerging themes about community service availability are discussed and include long waiting periods and funding issues.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Appleby, L., Shaw, J., Amos, T., McDonnell, R., Harris, C., McCann, K., et al. (1999). Suicide within 12 months of contact with mental health services: National clinical survey. BMJ, 318(7193), 1235–1239.
Beck, A. T., Kovacs, M., & Weissman, A. (1979). Assessment of suicidal intention: The scale for suicide ideation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47(2), 343–352. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.47.2.343.
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. T., & Carbin, M. G. (1988). Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty five years of evaluation. Clinical Psychology Review, 8(1), 77–100. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(88)90050-5.
Bongar, B. (2002). The suicidal patient: Clinical and legal standards of care (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bryan, C. J., & Rudd, M. D. (2006). Advances in the assessment of suicide risk. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(2), 185–200. doi:10.1002/jclp.20222.
Burgess, P., Pirkis, J., Morton, J., & Croke, E. (2000). Lessons from a comprehensive clinical audit of users of psychiatric services who committed suicide. Psychiatric Services, 51(2), 1555–1560. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.51.12.1555.
Caplan, R. (2001). Substance abuse and suicidal behavior in managed care. In J. M. Ellison (Ed.), Treatment of suicidal patients in managed care (pp. 111–129). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Web-based injury and statistics query and reporting system: Leading causes of death reports. Retrieved from http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html.
Christy, A., Kutash, K., & Stiles, P. (2006). Short term involuntary psychiatric examination of children in Florida. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 33, 578–584. doi:10.1007/s10488-006-0064-0.
Deisenhammer, E. A., Huber, M., Kemmler, G., Weiss, E. M., & Hinterhuber, H. (2007). Psychiatric hospitalizations during the last 12 months before suicide. General Hospital Psychiatry, 29(1), 63–65. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2006.09.007.
Dillman, D. (2007). Mail and Internet surveys: The tailored design method. New York, NY: J. Wiley.
Feldman, J., & Finguerra, L. (2001). Managed crisis care for suicidal patients. In J. M. Ellison (Ed.), Treatment of suicidal patients in managed care (pp. 15–38). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Florida Statutes, Chapter 394 (2010).
Goldacre, M., Seagroatt, V., & Hawton, K. (1993). Suicide after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. Lancet, 342(8866), 283–286. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(93)91822-4.
Harris, E., & Barraclough, B. (1997). Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders: A meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 170(3), 205–228. doi:10.1192/bjp.170.3.205.
Jacobs, D. G., Brewer, M., & Klein-Benheim, M. (1999). Suicide assessment: An overview and recommended protocol. In D. G. Jacobs (Ed.), The Harvard Medical School guide to suicide assessment and intervention (pp. 3–39). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Meehan, J., Kapur, N., Hunt, I., Turnbull, P., Robinson, J., Bickley, H., et al. (2006). Suicide in mental health inpatients and within 3 months of discharge. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 129–134. doi:10.1192/bjp.188.2.129.
NVivo qualitative data analysis software; QSR International Pty Ltd. Version 9, (2010).
Pirkis, J., Burgess, P., & Jolley, D. (1999). Suicide attempts by psychiatric patients in acute inpatient, long-stay inpatient and community care. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 34(12), 634–644. doi:10.1007/s001270050186.
Pudlinski, C. (2001). Contrary themes on three peer run warm lines. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 24(4), 397–400.
Reynolds, W. M. (1988). Suicidal ideation questionnaire professional manual. Odessa FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Roggenbaum, S., Christy, A., LeBlanc, A., McCranie, M., Murrin, M. R., & Li, Y. (2008). The relationship of suicide death to Baker Act examination, client characteristics and service use patterns. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
Sullivan, G. R., & Bongar, B. (2006). Psychological testing in suicide risk management. In R. I. Simon & R. E. Hales (Eds.), Textbook of suicide assessment and management (pp. 177–196). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this research was provided by Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration under Contract MED078, PI Roger Boothroyd, Ph.D. The authors greatly appreciate comments from our reviewers, Drs. Mary Armstrong and Norín Dollard and the contribution from Mark McCranie, M.A. our Research Specialist.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roggenbaum, S., Christy, A. & LeBlanc, A. Suicide Assessment and Prevention During and After Emergency Commitment. Community Ment Health J 48, 741–745 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9428-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9428-3