Mental health patients are less likely to commit suicides on weekends, according to the findings of a new study conducted by researchers at the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide in England. Suicide rates were found to be 12-15 percent lower on weekends.
"We actually found a markedly reduced suicide risk at the weekend. We also found a reduced risk in people who were admitted at the weekend," said study leader Professor Nav Kapur, as per a report from Science Daily. The report said that the study is a result of a government policy to extend health services to a full seven days due to some claims of a greater likelihood of patients admitted on weekends to die due to lack of staff and services.
Study finds that #mentalhealth patients are less likely to commit suicide at weekends https://t.co/R8gzsZrGAE
— The Awareness Centre (@AwarenessSW4) July 11, 2016
Different Groups Of Suicide Deaths Studied
The researchers were able to look into the medical records of 5,613 National Health patients who died by suicide from 2001 to 2013, according to a report from Medical Daily. One group was mental patients who died by suicide in the hospital and another was mental patients who died within three months of leaving a psychiatric facility.
The last group was mental patients who died by suicide while being part of a crisis resolution home treatment team. The report said that there was no evidence of the weekend having an effect on the suicides of the mental patients.
Suicides And The August Effect
The researchers also found that the so-called August effect did not influence the suicides of the mental health patients. According to a report from Nature World News, August effect refers to the "time when final-year medical students become doctors and junior doctors become a grade higher." The report said that previous studies have linked the changing of doctors with patient care.
Researchers also reportedly said that their study does not conclude why there are lower rates of suicides by mental health patients. One of the possible reasons was said to be increased interaction between the mental patients and their families and friends.
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