Objectives: This study identified profiles of patients with suicidal behaviors, their sociodemographic and clinical correlates, and assessed the risk of death within a 12-month follow-up period.
Methods: Based on administrative databases, this 5-year study analyzed data on 5064 patients in Quebec who used emergency departments (ED) or were hospitalized for suicidal behaviors over a 2-year period. Latent class analysis was used for patient profiles, bivariate analysis for patient correlates over 2 years, and survival analysis for risk of death within a 12-month follow-up.
Results: Four profiles were identified: high suicidal behaviors and high service use (Profile 1: 23%); low suicidal behaviors and moderate service use (Profile 2: 46%); low suicidal behaviors and low service use (Profile 3: 25%); and high suicidal behaviors and high acute care, but low outpatient care (Profile 4: 6%). Profiles 1 and 4 patients had more serious conditions, with a higher risk of death in Profile 1 versus Profiles 2 and 3. Profile 2 patients had relatively more common mental disorders, and Profile 3 patients had less severe conditions. Profiles 3 and 4 included more men and younger patients.
Conclusion: Programs better adapted to patient profiles should be deployed after ED use and hospitalization in coordination with outpatient services.
Keywords: latent class analysis; service use; suicidal behaviors.
© 2022 The American Association of Suicidology.