Factors associated with referral to mental health services among suicide attempters visiting emergency centers of general hospitals in Korea: does history of suicide attempts predict referral?

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• 作者：Sun-Jin Jo Ph.D.^a ; Myung-Soo Lee M.D. ; M.P.H.^b ; ^{mslee1010@gmail.com"" rel=""nofollow} ; Hyeon Woo Yim M.D. ; Ph.D.^a ; Han Joon Kim M.D. ; Ph.D.^c ; Kyeongryong Lee M.D. ; Ph.D.^d ; Hyun Soo Chung M.D. ; Ph.D.^e ; Junho Cho M.D. ; M.P.H.^f ; Seung-Pil Choi M.D. ; Ph.D.^c ; Young Mi Seo M.S.W.^b
• 关键词：Suicide attempt ; Emergency ; Referral ; General hospital
• 刊名：General Hospital Psychiatry
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：May-June 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：33
• 期：3
• 页码：294-299
• 全文大小：158 K

文摘

Objective

This study examined whether a history of past suicide attempts was a critical factor for referral to mental health services among suicide attempters visiting emergency centers of general hospitals in Korea.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, a resident of emergency medicine at each emergency center interviewed 310 suicide attempters visiting five tertiary general hospitals located in Seoul, using standardized questionnaires, during 7 months in 2007. We examined associations between suicide attempt history and referral to mental health services via multiple logistic regressions.

Results

Subjects' rate of referral to mental health services was 47.3 % . When we controlled for participant age, time of arrival at the emergency center, psychiatric treatment history, use of alcohol, suicide attempt lethality and subjective expectation to suicide attempts, past suicide attempts did not predict referral to mental health services (odds ratio=1.74; 95 % confidence interval .88–3.43).

Conclusion

Psychiatric interventions for suicide reattempters visiting emergency centers are important for preventing suicide, but providers have not considered suicide attempt history as a critical factor for referral to mental health services. Therefore, we suggest that more effort is needed to systemize psychiatric interventions for suicide reattempters at emergency centers in Korea.