The Joint Commission reported that since 1995, there have been 827 reports of patient suicide. Because the 827 cases represented only those suicides voluntarily reported, the statistic is most likely an undercount, according to the report. Many patients who attempt or commit suicide in hospitals are at unknown risk for suicide and often lack a psychiatric history, making it difficult for hospitals to predict the occurrences.
The suicides varied in method and location, occurring in bathrooms, bedrooms, closets and showers and including hanging, laceration, shooting and self-asphyxiation, among other methods.
The report recommended hospitals take measures to prevent suicide, including more intense screenings of new patients, assigning volunteers to watch at-risk patients and improving communication between providers and families during patient hand-off.
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