Photo Credit: Mokee81

The following is a summary of “National Trends in Emergency Department Visits for Suicide Attempts and Intentional Self-Harm,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Bommersbach et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study estimating the national annual trends and details of emergency department (ED) visits for suicide attempts or self-harm each year in the U.S. 

They used the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which samples emergency departments yearly. By looking at diagnosis and reason codes (ICD-9-CM for 2011-2015; ICD-10-CM for 2016-2020), the visits for suicide attempts and self-harm were identified, estimating the yearly proportion of such ED visits. 

The results showed that the number of ED visits for suicide attempts and self-harm jumped from 1.43 million (0.6% of total ED) to 5.37 million (2.1%) from 2011-2012 to 2019-2020 (average annual percent change, 19.5%, 95% CI: 16.9-22.2). Visits per capita rose from 261 to 871 per 100,000 persons (average annual percent change, 18.8%, 95% CI: 17.6-20.0). The increase in visits was widely distributed across socio-demographic groups. All age groups watched more visits, with the most significant jump among adults aged 65 or older (average annual percent change, 30.2%, 95% CI=28.5, 32.0). Drug-related issues were common, but fewer than 16% of visits involved a mental health pro evaluation.

Investigators concluded that the sharp rise in ED visits for suicide attempts and self-harm over the past decade highlighted the pressing need to enhance mental health care for those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Source: psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230397