Table 5.

Variables for Inclusion into a Central Database on In-Hospital Suicide^*

Location and patient status	■Type of health care facility (e.g., general medical hospital, VA hospital, psychiatric hospital) ■On hospital grounds vs. on leave (e.g., home vs. public location) ■Location on hospital grounds (e.g., patient room, bathroom, stairwell, etc.) ■Authorized leave vs. AWOL
Method	■Hanging, jumping, overdose, cutting, poisoning, etc. ■If poisoning or overdose, which substances used ■Suicide note/communication of intent
Timing	■Duration of hospital stay ■Time of day, time of year, holidays ■Relation of suicide to time of discharge
Demographic characteristics	■Age ■Gender ■Race ■Socioeconomic status ■Marital status ■Religion ■Profession/occupation ■Living situation ■Military status
Diagnosis	■Primary diagnosis ■Reason for hospital admission ■Secondary diagnosis, if applicable ■Prognosis ■Presence of cognitive impairment
Symptoms at time of suicide	■Pain ■Difficulty breathing ■Fatigue ■Agitation
Psychiatric concerns	■Documentation of a previous psychiatric consultation ■Documentation of a suicidal assessment ■Previous suicide attempts or other self-injurious behavior ■Psychiatric diagnosis ■Psychiatric symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, delirium) ■Substance abuse, dependence, or withdrawal ■Current mental health care and/or use of psychotropic medications
Systems concerns	■Environmental factors (e.g., unsecured window, atrium, breakaway shower rods) ■Inadequate assessment or monitoring of suicidality or depression ■Concerns identified in sentinel event review

^*VA, Department of Veterans Affairs; AWOL, absent without leave.