The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007) 190: 170-171. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.021857
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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SHORT REPORTS

Police contact within 3 months of suicide and associated health service contact

KEITH R. LINSLEY, MRCPsych

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust

NEIL JOHNSON, MSc

National Institute for Mental Health in England: North East Yorkshire and Humber

JESSICA MARTIN, M Suicidology

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, Durham, UK

Correspondence: Dr Keith R. Linsley, Tees Esk and Wear Val Valleys leys NHS Trust, County Hospital, North Road, Durham DH1 4ST, 4ST, UK. Email: keith.linsley{at}cddps.nhs.uk

Declaration of interest None.

We evaluated police contact with individuals prior to suicide, using a systematic study of suicides within County Durham and Darlington over a 3-year period and analysis of police computer records covering the same area. Atotal of 205 cases of suicide were identified. A fifth of these (n=41) had a documented contact with police within 3 months prior to the suicide, there was an equal mixture of victims and alleged perpetrators of crime, and a significant number of those with police contact had also seen a health professional recently. As many people see a police officer in the 3 months prior to their suicide as see a mental health professional within 12 months prior to suicide. Our findings have implications for suicide prevention.