Suicide Rates After Discharge From Psychiatric Facilities

Abstract

Suicide is among the top 20 causes of death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that the global age-standardized suicide rate was 11.4 per 100 000 person-years in 2012.¹ Most suicides occur in individuals with mental illness,² and virtually all mental disorders are associated with increased suicide-associated mortality.³ Mentally ill persons who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals and wards seem to have a greater risk for suicide than other mentally ill persons.⁴