Characteristics and six-month outcome of patients who use suicide threats to seek hospital admission

Retrospective review of patients' charts and other records was used to collect data on diagnoses, psychosocial characteristics, and subsequent suicide attempts of 45 patients who made contingent suicide threats, defined as threatened suicide or exaggerated suicidality reported to increase the likelihood of hospital admission, and 92 suicidal patients who did not make such threats. Patients who made contingent suicide threats were more likely to be substance dependent, antisocial, homeless, unmarried, and in legal difficulty. Subsequent suicide attempts were uncommon in both groups. The authors suggest that hospitalization should not be used as a substitute for social services, substance abuse treatment, and legal assistance for patients who make contingent suicide threats.