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Documentation of suicidality in connection with specialised healthcare for physical conditions : a retrospective review of somatic medical records prior to suicide in Sweden

Sellin, Tabita ; Waern, Margda ; Bergqvist, Erik LU orcid ; Palmqvist Öberg, Nina LU ; Lindström, Sara LU orcid ; Fröding, Elin ; Ehnvall, Anna LU and Westrin, Åsa LU (2025) In BMJ Open 15(5).
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether suicidality was documented prior to suicide in patients in contact with specialised somatic healthcare providers for physical conditions and to identify factors related to such documentation.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Retrospective cohort study in which medical records from specialised somatic (non-psychiatric) healthcare services (internal medicine, infectious disease, surgery, urology, etc) in 20 of Sweden's 21 regions were reviewed up to 2 years before suicide.

PARTICIPANTS: Those who died by suicide in Sweden 2015 and had received specialised somatic healthcare for a diagnosed physical condition were included, n=468 (331 men and 137 women). THE OUTCOME VARIABLE: Documentation of suicidality... (More)

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether suicidality was documented prior to suicide in patients in contact with specialised somatic healthcare providers for physical conditions and to identify factors related to such documentation.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Retrospective cohort study in which medical records from specialised somatic (non-psychiatric) healthcare services (internal medicine, infectious disease, surgery, urology, etc) in 20 of Sweden's 21 regions were reviewed up to 2 years before suicide.

PARTICIPANTS: Those who died by suicide in Sweden 2015 and had received specialised somatic healthcare for a diagnosed physical condition were included, n=468 (331 men and 137 women). THE OUTCOME VARIABLE: Documentation of suicidality (ie, death wishes, suicidal thoughts, plans, attempts and notations of known suicidality or elevated suicide risk). Potential associations of patients' characteristics and clinical factors with the outcome were tested in logistic regression models.

RESULTS: Of the 468 patients, 111 (24%) were positive for the outcome variable Documentation of suicidality, regardless of whether they were assessed as suicidal or not. Elevated suicide risk was noted in 27 patients (6% of the total cohort). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that experience of distress (OR: 4.81; 95% CI: 1.96 to 11.81), contact with psychiatric services (OR: 4.68; 95% CI: 2.60 to 8.43), psychiatric comorbidity (OR: 4.33; 95% CI: 2.41 to 7.76) and female sex (OR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.68 to 5.06) were independently associated with documentation of suicidality. A third (36%) had a doctor consultation in specialised somatic healthcare during their last month of life. Of these, 17% were assessed for suicidality, and elevated suicide risk was noted in 7%.

CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of suicidality was observed in one quarter of patients who received specialised somatic healthcare for physical conditions and subsequently died by suicide. These results indicate a need to increase clinician awareness of suicidal issues and assessments and to integrate questions about mental health into specialised somatic practice.

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organization
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Humans, Male, Female, Sweden/epidemiology, Retrospective Studies, Middle Aged, Suicide/statistics & numerical data, Adult, Aged, Suicidal Ideation, Documentation/statistics & numerical data, Medical Records/statistics & numerical data, Risk Factors, Logistic Models, Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data, Young Adult
in
BMJ Open
volume
15
issue
5
article number
e086633
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:105005412180
  • pmid:40379329
ISSN
2044-6055
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086633
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group.
id
65142bc6-c132-43b6-812f-8f61bc81b8e3
date added to LUP
2025-05-19 09:16:25
date last changed
2025-07-10 07:42:01
@article{65142bc6-c132-43b6-812f-8f61bc81b8e3,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether suicidality was documented prior to suicide in patients in contact with specialised somatic healthcare providers for physical conditions and to identify factors related to such documentation.</p><p>DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Retrospective cohort study in which medical records from specialised somatic (non-psychiatric) healthcare services (internal medicine, infectious disease, surgery, urology, etc) in 20 of Sweden's 21 regions were reviewed up to 2 years before suicide.</p><p>PARTICIPANTS: Those who died by suicide in Sweden 2015 and had received specialised somatic healthcare for a diagnosed physical condition were included, n=468 (331 men and 137 women). THE OUTCOME VARIABLE: Documentation of suicidality (ie, death wishes, suicidal thoughts, plans, attempts and notations of known suicidality or elevated suicide risk). Potential associations of patients' characteristics and clinical factors with the outcome were tested in logistic regression models.</p><p>RESULTS: Of the 468 patients, 111 (24%) were positive for the outcome variable Documentation of suicidality, regardless of whether they were assessed as suicidal or not. Elevated suicide risk was noted in 27 patients (6% of the total cohort). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that experience of distress (OR: 4.81; 95% CI: 1.96 to 11.81), contact with psychiatric services (OR: 4.68; 95% CI: 2.60 to 8.43), psychiatric comorbidity (OR: 4.33; 95% CI: 2.41 to 7.76) and female sex (OR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.68 to 5.06) were independently associated with documentation of suicidality. A third (36%) had a doctor consultation in specialised somatic healthcare during their last month of life. Of these, 17% were assessed for suicidality, and elevated suicide risk was noted in 7%.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of suicidality was observed in one quarter of patients who received specialised somatic healthcare for physical conditions and subsequently died by suicide. These results indicate a need to increase clinician awareness of suicidal issues and assessments and to integrate questions about mental health into specialised somatic practice.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sellin, Tabita and Waern, Margda and Bergqvist, Erik and Palmqvist Öberg, Nina and Lindström, Sara and Fröding, Elin and Ehnvall, Anna and Westrin, Åsa}},
  issn         = {{2044-6055}},
  keywords     = {{Humans; Male; Female; Sweden/epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Suicide/statistics & numerical data; Adult; Aged; Suicidal Ideation; Documentation/statistics & numerical data; Medical Records/statistics & numerical data; Risk Factors; Logistic Models; Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data; Young Adult}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ Open}},
  title        = {{Documentation of suicidality in connection with specialised healthcare for physical conditions : a retrospective review of somatic medical records prior to suicide in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086633}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086633}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}