Abstract

BENNETT,M.D.,President FoundationA. E. BennettBerkeley,Calif.EVANS,M.D.chiatric all unit ourhos-pitals in the United departments-a threefold! decade. In 1962, 273,000 tal illness were admitted!units, state which compared hospitals.States have psychiatric increase within the past patients with acute mento general hospital psywith 235,000 admitted toOne tion thatthe preven-of suicide. It must be recognized, of suicides also occur in general hospitalswho are being treated! for organiccourse, amongand are not recognized turbed. If such patientswill be agitation, found or to show depression. notas areserious Thebeing carefullydegrees problememotionally observed,of confusion, with all withpaa theytients, whether or psychiatric diagnosis,they are admitted is to recognize whetherare potentially protect them. on psychiatric chotic. While communicatecides cannot observationssuicidal, and if so, to take steps to Of those who kill themselves while units, 90 per cent are overtly psyextremely depressed, they may not their suicide impulse, and many suibe predicted even greatly by reduce a skilled psychia-trist.’2suicid!es,ual pit must be ad!mitted is determined! toind!icate thatthat the kill himselfis anindividcannot beof 24twice cate (lenceI)r. 4 is also 1D.(1,1(1the that of100,000patients,stud!ies lowermdimci-national general suicideaverage.3’4’5 hospitals have than do stateOther a much psychiatrichospitals.6 Dr. Bennett at Herricka psychiatristHospital,M. F. Banen, Diseases, Wooley“Suicide Vol. andprivate ofpractice. psychiatrsJournal 349-357.“Suicide%fental 2L.Berkeley.by Psychotics,” 120, 1954, pp.A. H. Eichert,and