Suicide Prevention in the Emergency Department: Assessing Staff Training, Patient Care, and Follow-up Services in Colorado Hospitals

In 2012, the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention began providing Colorado hospitals with educational materials to be distributed to patients who have attempted suicide. Historically, very little research has examined hospital protocol and procedures at discharge for individuals hospitalized for a suicide attempt.  This presentation will discuss methodology and findings of an assessment project designed to understand the barriers encountered by hospitals in providing a suicidal person or the parents or guardian of a suicidal minor with information about after care and suicide prevention resources. Respondents from 65 percent of Colorado hospitals completed a 20-question online survey. Seventy-four percent of responding hospitals provide patients and families with information about suicide prevention resources. Approximately half provide information about warning signs for depression and risk factors for suicide. Nearly 40 percent of respondents reported that their hospital ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ provides information about the safe storage of firearms to patients and families admitted for a suicide attempt. Unfortunately, 70 percent responded that their hospital does not have a protocol for following up with suicidal patients after discharge and 60 percent reported that they were not aware of receiving informational materials from the Office of Suicide Prevention. These findings highlight the need to reach key personnel at hospitals so that they can provide necessary informational materials to at-risk patients and families upon discharge. Results also indicated a need to provide hospitals with evidence-based practice recommendations related to the evaluation and management of suicidal patients, means restriction education, and post-discharge follow-up care.