Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(3):217-222 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6571

Safe environment management in acute psychiatric wards in the Czech Republic, foundation for recommendations for preventive practice

Adam ®aludek1, Jan David2, Jiøí Kajzar3, David Marx1
1 Department of Public Health, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Paediatrics, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
3 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Objectives: Suicides of hospitalized patients present rare but very serious adverse events in healthcare settings. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse the facilities and material equipment of acute psychiatric settings in the Czech Republic and contrast these with recommendations for effective prevention of suicidal behaviour. Since there are currently no universally accepted protocols for risk assessment and prevention of suicides in hospital settings in the Czech Republic, these recommendations draw on international guidelines. Based on the outcomes of our study we provide recommendations for risk management and effective prevention of suicidal behaviour of patients hospitalized in acute care settings.

Methods: In order to describe and analyse the environment of acute psychiatric wards in the Czech Republic we have developed a questionnaire based on international recommendations for risk management and prevention of suicidal behaviour. We also collected data on the prevalence of attempted and completed suicides and their respective methods in these hospitals.

Results: We have established that acute psychiatric wards in the Czech Republic operate within insufficient safety regimes, especially with respect to the prevention of suicide by hanging and the accessibility of objects for cutting. Our findings demonstrate that only 75% of the wards are equipped with safety glass, and only 50% of the wards with safety mirrors. Only just over 40% of hospitals have safety door handles and shower heads.

Conclusion: While it is impossible to entirely eliminate the risk of suicidal behaviour it is possible to manage it. The risk reduction is attainable by providing a safe-proofed environment and minimizing opportunities of suicide attempts by hanging and cutting. In order to effectively prevent suicides, it is essential to increase the awareness of the possibilities of safe proofing of the environment as well as standardization of risk assessment of potential suicidal behaviour of patients.

Keywords: suicide, risk assessment, safe environment, Czech Republic, public health, prevention

Received: October 11, 2020; Revised: July 25, 2021; Accepted: July 25, 2021; Published: September 30, 2021  Show citation

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®aludek A, David J, Kajzar J, Marx D. Safe environment management in acute psychiatric wards in the Czech Republic, foundation for recommendations for preventive practice. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2021;29(3):217-222. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a6571. PubMed PMID: 34623122.
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