Treatment of Mental Illness Prior to Suicide: A National Investigation of 12,909 patients, 2001–2016

What is it about?

Medication and psychological treatment for mental illness can support suicide prevention, yet little is known on levels of treatment in patients who have died by suicide. We examined whether psychiatric patients who had been in recent contact with mental health services before suicide were receiving treatment as recommended by national clinical guidelines. Almost a quarter of the sample were not receiving relevant pharmacological treatment, either because they had not been prescribed them or because of non-adherence. A number of patient factors were associated with not receiving treatment. The findings highlight the need for appropriate prescribing of treatment and improvement of patient engagement and adherence.

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