Improving patient care after a suicide attempt

Objectives: Improving the care that patients receive after a suicide attempt will reduce the risk of a subsequent suicide attempt. We described how care for these patients can be improved and identified the available guidelines. Methods: We reviewed the literature on crisis and aftercare, psychosocial assessment, risk assessment, brief contact interventions, and brief interventions. Results: People who have made a suicide attempt are at increased risk of suicide, and the period immediately after discharge from hospital is particularly risky. Patients require an empathic response at their first point of contact, comprehensive psychosocial assessment, effective discharge planning, rapid and assertive follow-up, and coordinated care in the subsequent months. Conclusions: Empathic and effective care that begins in the emergency department and extends through to community care is imperative. Enough is known about the risks of inadequate care and the key ingredients of effective care to proceed with changes to Australia's healthcare response to a suicide attempt.