Commentary: Adverse experiences in psychiatric hospitals might be the cause of some postdischarge suicides

Abstract

In this article, the authors comment on "Postdischarge Suicide: A Psychodynamic Understanding of Subjective Experience and Its Importance in Suicide Prevention," by Schechter, Goldblatt, Ronningstam, Herbstman, and Maltsberger (Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 2016, volume 80, pp. 80-96). Suicide after discharge from psychiatric hospitals is an enduring and serious problem. Consideration needs to be given to the possibility that adverse experiences associated with hospitalization, experiences such as trauma, stigma, and loss of social support, might precipitate some suicides after discharge.