Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of non-fatal self harm in the 12 months after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. DESIGN: Cohort study based on national hospital episode statistics. SETTING: England. Population Patients aged 16-64 years discharged from psychiatric inpatient care between 1 A...

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Main Authors: Gunnell, D, Hawton, K, Ho, D, Evans, J, O'Connor, S, Potokar, J, Donovan, J, Kapur, N
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2008
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author Gunnell, D
Hawton, K
Ho, D
Evans, J
O'Connor, S
Potokar, J
Donovan, J
Kapur, N
author_facet Gunnell, D
Hawton, K
Ho, D
Evans, J
O'Connor, S
Potokar, J
Donovan, J
Kapur, N
author_sort Gunnell, D
collection OXFORD
description OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of non-fatal self harm in the 12 months after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. DESIGN: Cohort study based on national hospital episode statistics. SETTING: England. Population Patients aged 16-64 years discharged from psychiatric inpatient care between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005 and followed up for one year. RESULTS: 75 401 people were discharged from psychiatric inpatient care over the study period, 4935 (6.5%) of whom were admitted at least once for self harm in the following 12 months. Risk of self harm was greatest in the four weeks after discharge; one third (32%, n=1578) of admissions for self harm occurred in this period. The strongest risk factor for self harm after discharge was admission for self harm in the previous 12 months (hazard ratio 4.9, 95% confidence interval 4.6 to 5.2). The risk of self harm was also higher in females, younger people, those with diagnoses of depression, personality disorders, and substance misuse, and those with short lengths of stay. CONCLUSION: More than 6% of patients discharged from psychiatric inpatient care are readmitted for an episode of self harm within 12 months, with one third of these episodes occurring in the month after discharge. Self harm after discharge from hospital shares many of the features of suicide after discharge. Interventions should be developed to reduce risk in this period.
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spelling oxford-uuid:f5e76ffe-14e8-4755-9674-e50da27fd8482022-03-27T12:30:53ZHospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:f5e76ffe-14e8-4755-9674-e50da27fd848EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008Gunnell, DHawton, KHo, DEvans, JO'Connor, SPotokar, JDonovan, JKapur, N OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of non-fatal self harm in the 12 months after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care. DESIGN: Cohort study based on national hospital episode statistics. SETTING: England. Population Patients aged 16-64 years discharged from psychiatric inpatient care between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005 and followed up for one year. RESULTS: 75 401 people were discharged from psychiatric inpatient care over the study period, 4935 (6.5%) of whom were admitted at least once for self harm in the following 12 months. Risk of self harm was greatest in the four weeks after discharge; one third (32%, n=1578) of admissions for self harm occurred in this period. The strongest risk factor for self harm after discharge was admission for self harm in the previous 12 months (hazard ratio 4.9, 95% confidence interval 4.6 to 5.2). The risk of self harm was also higher in females, younger people, those with diagnoses of depression, personality disorders, and substance misuse, and those with short lengths of stay. CONCLUSION: More than 6% of patients discharged from psychiatric inpatient care are readmitted for an episode of self harm within 12 months, with one third of these episodes occurring in the month after discharge. Self harm after discharge from hospital shares many of the features of suicide after discharge. Interventions should be developed to reduce risk in this period.
spellingShingle Gunnell, D
Hawton, K
Ho, D
Evans, J
O'Connor, S
Potokar, J
Donovan, J
Kapur, N
Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title_full Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title_fullStr Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title_full_unstemmed Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title_short Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study.
title_sort hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care cohort study
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