Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study

Background: Evidence is sparse regarding service usage and the clinical management of people recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric care who die by suicide. Aim: To improve understanding of how people discharged from inpatient mental health care are supported by primary care during this hi...

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Main Authors: Rebecca Musgrove, Matthew J Carr, Nav Kapur, Carolyn A Chew-Graham, Faraz Mughal, Darren M Ashcroft, Roger T Webb
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Royal College of General Practitioners 2024-12-01
Series:BJGP Open
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Online Access:https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2023.0165
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author Rebecca Musgrove
Matthew J Carr
Nav Kapur
Carolyn A Chew-Graham
Faraz Mughal
Darren M Ashcroft
Roger T Webb
author_facet Rebecca Musgrove
Matthew J Carr
Nav Kapur
Carolyn A Chew-Graham
Faraz Mughal
Darren M Ashcroft
Roger T Webb
author_sort Rebecca Musgrove
collection DOAJ
description Background: Evidence is sparse regarding service usage and the clinical management of people recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric care who die by suicide. Aim: To improve understanding of how people discharged from inpatient mental health care are supported by primary care during this high-risk transition. Design & setting: A nested case–control study, utilising interlinked primary and secondary care records in England for people who died within a year of discharge between 2001 and 2019, matched on age, sex, practice-level deprivation, and region with up to 20 living discharged people. Method: We described patterns of consultation, prescription of psychotropic medication, and continuity of care for people who died by suicide and those who survived. Mutually adjusted relative risk estimates were generated for a range of primary care and clinical variables. Results: More than 40% of patients who died within 2 weeks of discharge and >80% of patients who died within 1 year of discharge had at least one primary care consultation within the respective time periods. Evidence of discharge communication from hospital was infrequent. Within-practice continuity of care was relatively high. Those who died by suicide were less likely to consult within 2 weeks of discharge (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.61 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 0.42 to 0.89]), more likely to consult in the week before death (AOR 1.71 [95% CI = 1.36 to 2.15]), be prescribed multiple types of psychotropic medication (AOR 1.73 [95% CI = 1.28 to 2.33]), experience readmission, and have a diagnosis outside of the ‘severe mental illness’ definition. Conclusion: Primary care clinicians have opportunities to intervene and should prioritise patients experiencing transition from inpatient care. Clear communication and liaison between services is essential to provide timely support.
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spelling doaj-art-6a44843662744b339905e44bca607a8a2025-08-20T02:39:51ZengRoyal College of General PractitionersBJGP Open2398-37952024-12-018410.3399/BJGPO.2023.0165Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control studyRebecca Musgrove0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1227-2057Matthew J Carr1Nav Kapur2Carolyn A Chew-Graham3Faraz Mughal4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5437-5962Darren M Ashcroft5Roger T Webb6Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UKNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKBackground: Evidence is sparse regarding service usage and the clinical management of people recently discharged from inpatient psychiatric care who die by suicide. Aim: To improve understanding of how people discharged from inpatient mental health care are supported by primary care during this high-risk transition. Design & setting: A nested case–control study, utilising interlinked primary and secondary care records in England for people who died within a year of discharge between 2001 and 2019, matched on age, sex, practice-level deprivation, and region with up to 20 living discharged people. Method: We described patterns of consultation, prescription of psychotropic medication, and continuity of care for people who died by suicide and those who survived. Mutually adjusted relative risk estimates were generated for a range of primary care and clinical variables. Results: More than 40% of patients who died within 2 weeks of discharge and >80% of patients who died within 1 year of discharge had at least one primary care consultation within the respective time periods. Evidence of discharge communication from hospital was infrequent. Within-practice continuity of care was relatively high. Those who died by suicide were less likely to consult within 2 weeks of discharge (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.61 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 0.42 to 0.89]), more likely to consult in the week before death (AOR 1.71 [95% CI = 1.36 to 2.15]), be prescribed multiple types of psychotropic medication (AOR 1.73 [95% CI = 1.28 to 2.33]), experience readmission, and have a diagnosis outside of the ‘severe mental illness’ definition. Conclusion: Primary care clinicians have opportunities to intervene and should prioritise patients experiencing transition from inpatient care. Clear communication and liaison between services is essential to provide timely support.https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2023.0165primary health caresuicidepsychiatric dischargemental health
spellingShingle Rebecca Musgrove
Matthew J Carr
Nav Kapur
Carolyn A Chew-Graham
Faraz Mughal
Darren M Ashcroft
Roger T Webb
Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
BJGP Open
primary health care
suicide
psychiatric discharge
mental health
title Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
title_full Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
title_fullStr Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
title_full_unstemmed Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
title_short Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case–control study
title_sort primary care contact clinical management and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care a case control study
topic primary health care
suicide
psychiatric discharge
mental health
url https://bjgpopen.org/content/8/4/BJGPO.2023.0165
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