Suicide Risk Assessments: Which Suicide Risk Factors Psychiatric Residents Consider Significant?

OBJECTIVE: Patients visiting the emergency department (ED) after a suicide attempt are generally assessed for suicide risk by psychiatric residents. Psychiatric residents' competence in evaluating the risk posed by the patients who attempted suicide is critical to preventing suicide. METHODS: We investigated factors considered important by psychiatric residents when evaluating suicide risk. This study included 140 patients admitted to the ED after attempting suicide. Psychiatric residents rated patients' severity of current and future suicide risk as low/moderate/high using the Brief Emergency Room Suicide Risk Assessment (BESRA). The association between each BESRA variable and level of suicide risk was analyzed. RESULTS: Many factors were commonly considered important in evaluating the severity of current and future suicide risk. However, the following factors were only associated with future suicide risk: female gender, having no religion, family psychiatric history, history of axis I disorders, having a will, harboring no regrets, and social isolation. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric residents use diverse factors when assessing suicide risk. Psychiatric residents might put more emphasis on non-modifiable demographic and clinical factors, concrete evidence showing suicide determination, and social isolation to assess the risk of future suicide.

Investigation of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experience Regarding Suicidal Behaviors among Psychiatric Residents in Korea : A Cross-Sectional Study / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of the grade of residents, sociodemographic variables, and clinical experience with suicidal patients on the knowledge and attitudes toward suicide among psychiatric residents in Korea. METHODS: A self-reporting survey including 30 questions was conducted together with an investigation of the sociodemographic background of the research subjects. The questionnaire was composed of general knowledge questions on suicide, suicide-related personal experience, attitudes toward suicide, and the treatment experience of suicide attempt patients. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine the differences and associations among the attitudes toward suicide, clinical experience of suicide, and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: A significantly higher response rate was presented in the 4th grade on general knowledge of suicide and treatment experience with suicide attempt patients than in the 1st grade. Residents with previous history of psychiatric treatment suicide plans, or attempts presented a significantly higher level of permissive attitude toward suicide. Residents who had a previous history of suicide attempt among their own patients were more likely to think that they were more capable to prevent suicide of patients. CONCLUSION: Effective clinical practices are essential considering the fact that the highest suicide risk groups will inevitably be referred to psychiatric clinical services. The authors expect that the study results regarding suicide-related knowledge, attitudes, and the experience of psychiatric residents will contribute to the development of effective resident training programs for suicide-related clinical practice in Korea.