Risk factors for parasuicide among psychiatric inpatients.

To improve suicide prevention during hospitalization, this study examined risk factors for parasuicide among psychiatric inpatients. A group of 58 psychiatric inpatients (19 with schizophrenia, 20 with depression, and 19 with other diagnoses) who displayed suicidal behavior during hospitalization were compared with two control groups of nonparasuicidal inpatients. For inpatients with schizophrenia, a history of parasuicide was a risk factor; for those with depression, it was suicidal behavior on admission; and for patients with other diagnoses, it was violence during hospitalization.