Frequency of Rehospitalization After Hospitalization for Suicidal Ideation or Suicidal Behavior in Patients With Depression

Background: Rehospitalization due to suicidal ideation (SI) or suicidal attempt (SA) could be used to measure effectiveness of depression treatments in patients at risk for suicide. There is limited evidence on how frequently rehospitalization occurs. This study sought to: 1. determine the frequency of rehospitalization due to SI/SA within a year and how often patients had multiple rehospitalizations; 2. identify the time period for which the risk of rehospitalization is highest; and 3. determine the characteristics of patients with multiple rehospitalizations.

Methods: Population-based retrospective cohort study using 4 US health claims databases. We included adults with depression. We defined hospitalization as an inpatient or emergency room visit with codes indicating a suicide attempt or suicidal thoughts using a validated algorithm. Rates of rehospitalization due to SI or SA were analyzed together and separately. Number of patients with multiple re-hospitalizations due to SI/SA were calculated.

Results: Across all four databases 121,065 patients were hospitalized due to SI/SA. Rate of rehospitalization within a year ranged from 7.96% to 11.24%. The risk of rehospitalization due to SI/SA is highest during the first 1 month. Nearly 50% of rehospitalizations occurred within 3 months after initial hospitalization. Patients with rehospitalization(s) had more anxiety disorder, sleep disorders and substance use disorders than patients without.

Conclusions: Among patients with depression hospitalized for SI/SA, rehospitalization for SI/SA within a year is not uncommon. The risk of rehospitalization due to SI/SA is highest during the first 1 month. Those with psychiatric comorbidities have more rehospitalizations than those without.

This poster was presented at the 32nd annual Psych Congress, held Oct. 3-6, 2019, in San Diego, California.