Patients who attempted suicide emphasised they wanted to be well cared for and receive understanding and confirmation
QUESTION: What are the experiences of patients during inpatient psychiatric care after a suicide attempt?
Design
Qualitative description using content analysis of interview data.
Setting
Specialised ward in the psychiatric clinic of the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Patients
18 Swedish speaking patients (age range 18–53 y, 67% men) who had recently attempted suicide.
Methods
The patients were interviewed as close to hospital discharge as possible. They were asked to describe their experiences of the care they received. Researchers used an interview guide to enquire about admission to hospital, feelings and reactions, and positive and negative experiences during the hospital stay. The interviews that lasted between 30 and 70 minutes were transcribed verbatim. A qualitative content analysis of the meanings, intentions, consequences and the context of data was done.
Main findings
3 central categories were identified: (1) being a psychiatric patient, (2) perceptions of the caregivers and the care provided, …
