Gender differences in the evaluation of suicide risk among psychiatric inpatients

Object: Suicide risk is often underestimated among psychiatric inpatients, leading to greater mortality both during hospitalization and soon after discharge. Method: We performed careful suicide assessment among 56 psychiatric inpatients that were administered a number of psychometric instruments to evaluate suicide risk, anxiety and depression. Results: In this sample, women were more anxious, more depressed and were at higher risk of suicide. This is an unusual finding as male patients are commonly reported as those more prone to perform a suicidal act. Conclusions: Results from such investigation point to gender differences when suicide risk is taken into account, suggesting that preventive measures should be implemented for those at risk regardless of well-known risk factors for suicide. © 2006 Giovanni Fioriti Editore s.r.l.