Prevalence and correlates of past-month suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury among adults in a partial hospital program

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and cross-sectional correlates of past-month suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, interrupted attempts, aborted attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among patients seeking treatment at a partial hospitalization program (PHP).

Method: 1063 patients (54% female, 87% white, mean age = 33.6 years) receiving treatment at a PHP completed self-report questionnaires and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale as part of routine clinical monitoring upon admission to the program. We examined demographic and clinical cross-sectional correlates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) using descriptive statistics, ordinal regression, and logistic regression analyses.

Results: In the past month, 44.6% of patients reported active suicidal thoughts, 5.6% reported a suicide attempt, 1.8% reported an interrupted attempt, 5.5% reported an aborted attempt, and 16.6% reported NSSI. Inpatient referral source (ORs = 2.45-5.28), minority sexual orientation (ORs = 1.43-6.94), and more Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms (ORs = 1.09-1.23) were each associated with at least three of the five SITBs examined.

Conclusions: This study highlights elevated rates of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and NSSI in a partial hospital sample. Given that past attempts predict future attempts and death by suicide, support during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care via programs such as PHPs is needed. Patients referred from inpatient treatment, who identity as a sexual minority, and with more BPD symptoms may require additional support and safety monitoring. Further work is indicated to better understand how PHP patients' SITBs change during and after partial hospitalization.

Keywords: Non-suicidal self-injury; Partial hospital program; Suicide attempt; Suicide ideation.