The British Journal of Psychiatry 159: 232-238 (1991)
© 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Suicidal ideation as a presenting complaint. Associated diagnoses and characteristics in a casualty population
CJ Hawley, DV James, PL Birkett, DS Baldwin, MJ de Ruiter and RG Priest
Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham.
A prospective study was conducted of all referrals to the emergency
psychiatric service of an inner-London hospital over one year. There were
53 individuals who presented with the specific and spontaneous complaint of
suicidal ideation without any accompanying act of self- harm. The main
diagnoses in this group were personality disorders (40%) and alcohol
dependence (15%); only 13% were suffering from depressive illness. Members
of the group differed from the other 369 presenters to the service in that
they were less likely to be accorded a diagnosis of a defined mental
illness, twice as likely to have a criminal record, and more likely to have
a previous history of deliberate self-harm. A quarter of the suicidal
complainants were admitted to hospital following assessment.