Responses to patients with suicidal ideation among different specialties in general hospitals

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine whether there were any differences in responses to patients with suicidal ideation among specialties in general hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in 2007. The subjects of the study were chief physicians at 75 emergency departments, 69 internal medicine departments and 154 psychiatry departments in 161 general hospitals with psychiatric beds in Japan. Results The physicians in internal and emergency medicine reported making arrangements for needed counseling services and recommending to patients that they talk to the people around them, whereas those in psychiatric departments reported asking patients to promise not to commit suicide (no-suicide contract) and making a next appointment for them. Conclusions Internists and emergency physicians are likely to take different approaches when responding to patients with suicidal ideation than psychiatrists.