Nondisclosure of Suicidal Intent Following Gunshot Wound Presents Barrier to Care, Study Finds

Some survivors of self-inflicted gunshot wounds falsely deny their injuries are a result of a suicide attempt. According to astudy published today inPsychiatric Services in Advance, these patients are far less likely to receive inpatient psychiatric care following their injury than those who disclose suicidal intent.The results highlight the importance of increased assessment, intervention, and psychoeducation for survivors of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, particularly while they are hospitalized on medical floors, wrote Michael Matthew McClay, M.S., of Western Kentucky University, Stephen S. O'Connor, Ph.D., of the University of Louisville, and colleagues. Because survivors of suicide attempts are at high risk of recurrence, correctly identifying these individuals is critical so treatment and prevention efforts can ensue, wrote the authors.About 44,000 people die by suicide every year in the United States, making it the 10th most common cause of death. Suicide attempts occur at an even greater rate and result in more than 316,000 hospital admissions and $51 billion in combined costs of medical care and loss of work each year, the authors wrote.The researchers examined electronic medical record data from 128 survivors of self-inflicted gunshot wounds at a trauma center in Tennessee; more than 25% of these patients were known to have made a prior suicide attempt.Overall, 71% of the survivors of self-inflicted gunshot wounds disclosed that it was a suicide attempt, and 29% den...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: gunshot wound Liza Gold Michael Matthew McClay Psychiatric Services in Advance Stephen S. O'Connor suicide suicide attempt Source Type: research