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Deaths in the Central Mental Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Marjorie Stokes  and
Art O'Connor
Marjorie Stokes
Affiliation:
Newcastle Hospital, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Art O'Connor
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
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Abstract

All deaths occurring in the in-patient population of the Central Mental Hospital during the period 1963 to 1987 inclusive were examined. The death rate during the total period was 11.7 per 1,000 admissions. The suicide rate during the total period was 3.9 per 1,000 admissions – there had been no suicides during the most recent five year period. Although the admission rate has been rising since the mid-1970s, the death rate over the last fifteen years has remained stable.

Many of the deaths prior to 1970 were in elderly long stay patients who died from natural causes. Five deaths in young patients are described separately – in two of these anticholinergic side effects of medication may have contibuted to the deaths. Seven suicides occcuring during the study period are described separately – four of these occurred in the months soon after admission.

Keywords

DeathInpatientsForensic PopulationSuicide
Type
Clinical and Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , September 1989 , pp. 144 - 147
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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