Suicidal tendencies under the influence ofalcohol – arational strategy inapsychiatric admission room. Preliminary report

• Main Authors: Wojciech Sołtys, Marcin Kozak, Ryszard Kocur, Małgorzata Lewicka, Wiktoria Zrost, Anita Hernand, Piotr Gorczyca, Piotr Ścisło, Natalia Pasierb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medical Communications Sp. z o.o. 2012-03-01
• Series: Psychiatria i Psychologia Kliniczna
• Subjects: alcohol; suicide; admission room; sobering‑up station; suicidal tendencies
• Online Access: http://www.psychiatria.com.pl/index.php/wydawnictwa/2012-vol-12-no-1/suicidal-tendencies-under-the-influence-of-alcohol-a-rational-strategy-in-a-psychiatric-admission-room-preliminary-report?aid=413
• ISSN: 1644-6313; 2451-0645

Suicidal declarations made by patients intoxicated with alcohol are a common problem in the psychiatric practice. The fol‑ lowing study was conducted in order to check how many patients who declared suicidal tendencies while intoxicated with alcohol, with no history of previous psychiatric treatment, still declare suicidal tendencies after being referred to a sober‑ ing‑up station. To this end, a study group consisting of 81 patients, aged 18 to 65 (mean 37.3) years old, 47 men and 34 women, brought to the Provincial Multidisciplinary Hospital No 4 Admission Room by the emergency due to suicidal tendencies, in period 01.06.2010‑31.05.2011, was analysed. The criteria of the group included no previous history of psy‑ chiatric treatment, alcohol blood concentration of at least one per mille, no other (i.e. internist) contraindications to refer‑ ral to the sobering‑up station. Patients diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses other than alcohol dependency syndrome dur‑ ing the initial consultation were excluded from the study. A percentage of patients with persevering suicidal threat after sobering‑up was calculated. The results show that among 81 patients referred to the sobering‑up station, suicidal tenden‑ cies were declared after sobering‑up by 7 (8.64%). Statistical significance was determined by using McNemar test to be p<0.001. None of the patients withdrawing from the suicidal tendencies appeared again in the admission room during the course of the study, also none of the patients died a suicidal death in this period, which was confirmed in police statistics. The study suggests that, considering the limited place in the psychiatric wards and hospitals, referring an intoxicated patient who declares suicidal tendencies to a sobering‑up station is a clinically‑confirmed course of action. The sobering‑up sta‑ tion guarantees strict scrutiny and impossibility ofrealizing the suicidal threat as well as specialist detoxification. It is imper‑ ative for the patient to be reconsulted by a psychiatrist after sobering‑up – the examination ought to include known suicide risk factors (i.e. as in standards of American Psychiatric Association).