AUSTRALIA: Nearly half of all patients hospitalized after suicide attempt receive no follow-up mental health treatment, research shows

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

It is well-established that the period after a patient is discharged from the hospital for a suicide attempt is a high-risk period for further attempts – yet a recent study in Australia found that 40 percent of such patients receive no follow-up mental health care. For more than half of those who do receive care following discharge, it consists only of a single 30-minute visit. An important factor in whether the patients in the study sought further professional support was their feelings about the care they received from hospital staff. Those who felt they had been treated negatively were much less likely to seek further help. Furthermore, noted Helen Christensen, director of the Black Dog Institute which conducted the study, “Current privacy laws mean family and [caregivers] are often not included in discharge arrangements or follow-up services and research shows that support from family and friends is integral to recovery from mental illness.” Continuing care is one of the key components of the comprehensive suicide prevention approach promoted by the Black Dog Institute.

Spark Extra! Read a report by SPRC and the American Association of Suicidology on Continuity of Care for Suicide Prevention and Research.