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Patient Opinions About Screening for Suicide Risk in the Adult Medical Inpatient Unit

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Abstract

As hospital clinicians and administrators consider implementing suicide risk screening on medical inpatient units, patient reactions to screening can provide essential input. This post hoc analysis examined patient opinions about screening for suicide risk in the medical setting. This analysis includes a subsample of a larger quality improvement project designed to screen medically hospitalized patients for suicide risk. Fifty-three adult medical inpatients at a clinical research hospital provided opinions about suicide risk screening. A qualitative analysis of responses to an opinion question about screening was conducted to identify major themes. Forty-three (81%) patients supported screening medical inpatients for suicide risk. Common themes emphasized asking patients directly about suicide, connection between mental/physical health, and the role of screening in suicide prevention. Adult medical inpatients supported screening for suicide risk on medical/surgical inpatient units. Behavioral health clinicians are uniquely poised to champion suicide detection and intervention in the general medical hospital setting. Patient opinions can be utilized to inform thoughtful implementation of universal suicide risk screening in the medical setting.

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Acknowledgments

The Quality Improvement Project described in this article was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health (ZIAMH002922) and by the NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department. The authors disclosed no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article. The opinions expressed in the article are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the US government. The authors wish to thank Daniel Powell, BA, Don Rosenstein, MD, and Jeanne Radcliffe, RN; National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Nursing Leadership; the physicians associated with the three inpatient units; and a special thanks to the bedside nurses, the clinical social workers, and all the patients for their participation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Deborah J. Snyder MSW, Elizabeth D. Ballard PhD, Maryland Pao MD & Lisa M. Horowitz PhD, MPH

  2. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

    Ian H. Stanley BA

  3. Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Erica Ludi BS

  4. Research and Practice Development, Clinical Center Nursing Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Julie Kohn-Godbout MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC

Authors
  1. Deborah J. Snyder MSW
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  2. Elizabeth D. Ballard PhD
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  3. Ian H. Stanley BA
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  4. Erica Ludi BS
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  5. Julie Kohn-Godbout MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC
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  6. Maryland Pao MD
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  7. Lisa M. Horowitz PhD, MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa M. Horowitz PhD, MPH.

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Snyder, D.J., Ballard, E.D., Stanley, I.H. et al. Patient Opinions About Screening for Suicide Risk in the Adult Medical Inpatient Unit. J Behav Health Serv Res 44, 364–372 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-016-9498-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-016-9498-7

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