Suicidal ideation among patients admitted to the psychiatry department at the national

Abstract

Introduction: Suicidal ideation is often the first sign that a person is beginning to think seriously about ending one’s life. Understanding its prevalence and associated factors among psychiatric inpatients is essential for improving care and suicide prevention efforts, given the higher risk of suicide in this population. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the rate of suicidal ideation and associated factors among patients admitted to the psychiatric ward at the national referral hospital in Bhutan.

Method: Data were collected from the Ask Suicide-Screening Questionnaires and the initial nursing assessment form that were maintained for all patients (n= 529) admitted to the psychiatry department in 2023. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the rate of suicidal ideation among the patients. Chi-square test was done to determine the association between suicidal ideation and selected factors.

Results: This study showed that 44.1% of the psychiatric in-patients had suicidal ideation. There were statistically significant associations between suicidal ideation and age, sex, employment status, primary diagnosis, past attempts and stressors with p-value of <0.001. There was also an association between suicidal ideation and level of education (p <0.05) while factors such as marital status and coping mechanisms did not show any association with the suicidal ideation.

Conclusion: The high burden of suicidal ideation among psychiatric inpatients underscores the need for routine suicide risk assessments and targeted interventions. Strengthening mental health services and integrating suicide prevention strategies into inpatient care is critical for reducing suicide risk in Bhutan.