Cross-Sectional Examination of Hospital Visits in the Year Prior to Suicide Death in Illinois

The authors aimed to evaluate the distribution of hospital visits among suicide decedents in Illinois during the year prior to their deaths, focusing on the settings of these visits (emergency departments vs. inpatient units), their timing, and the presence of suicide risk factors. They found that while a lower proportion of decedents had hospital visits compared to other studies, inpatient visits were more closely associated with suicide risk factors and occurred nearer to the time of death. This suggests that inpatient settings may provide more identifiable opportunities for targeted suicide prevention interventions, particularly for individuals with substance use disorders.