Suicide at a Training Center

Abstract

All patients committing suicide while on the official hospital rolls, either as inpatients, day hospital patients, or outpatients, at the New York Hospital, Westchester Division, from January 1, 1979 through June 30, 1982 were reviewed, including patients committing suicide within one month of discharge from inpatient or day hospital status. Nineteen suicides occurred during this study period; these records were reviewed for diagnosis, history of depression, history of childhood separation, and occurrence of recent therapist change. Eighteen of the nineteen patients had histories of depression, while only six of them had recorded histories of childhood separation. Four of these six patients committed suicide while on inpatient status and also had experienced recent therapist change. Excluding the eight recently discharged patients, seven of the eleven remaining suicides occurred within two weeks of a scheduled therapist change, including five of the six inpatient suicides. Thus seriously depressed, hospitalized, suicidal patients, particularly those sensitized to loss due to childhood bereavement experiences, may be at great risk at a time of resident or therapist change in a training institution.