A Qualitative Exploration of Patient Experiences with Hospital Care During Suicidal Crises
Abstract
Introduction. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 and is currently a major public health concern (Strashny et al., 2023). Many people who experience suicidal ideation seek help from a hospital, with 40 out of 10,000 visits to emergency departments being for suicidal ideation (Strashny et al., 2023). Prior research regarding individuals’ personal experiences with hospital care for suicidality is lacking. Given the limited research, examining care provided by hospital staff and how that care is perceived by patients (e.g., what is helpful versus unhelpful) could help suicide prevention efforts. The purpose of the current study is to explore individuals’ first-hand accounts of hospital care provided for suicidality, which may help inform future intervention strategies. Method. Data were taken from a mixed methods study examining college students’ help-seeking experiences for suicidal crises. The current sample (n = 19) includes participants who endorsed seeking help from a hospital for their suicidal crisis (Mage = 22.2, SD = 11.8, 84.2% female, 94.7% White). Participants responded to open-ended questions about what the hospital did for them, what they found helpful or unhelpful, and what they perceived as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Results. Reflexive thematic analysis will be used to explore participants’ experiences and final results will be completed by the time of the conference. It is hypothesized that findings will align with prior research, which suggests patients find it helpful when they are treated with gentle care, the situation's complexity is understood, and their emotional experiences are prioritized alongside physical treatment. References. Strashny A, Cairns C,& Ashman JJ. (2023). Emergency department visits with suicidal ideation: United States, 2016–2020. NCHS Data Brief, 463. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/ cdc:125704.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 11:30 AM
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Faculty Mentor
Aubery Dueweke, PhD.
Faculty Department
Psychology
A Qualitative Exploration of Patient Experiences with Hospital Care During Suicidal Crises
Introduction. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 and is currently a major public health concern (Strashny et al., 2023). Many people who experience suicidal ideation seek help from a hospital, with 40 out of 10,000 visits to emergency departments being for suicidal ideation (Strashny et al., 2023). Prior research regarding individuals’ personal experiences with hospital care for suicidality is lacking. Given the limited research, examining care provided by hospital staff and how that care is perceived by patients (e.g., what is helpful versus unhelpful) could help suicide prevention efforts. The purpose of the current study is to explore individuals’ first-hand accounts of hospital care provided for suicidality, which may help inform future intervention strategies. Method. Data were taken from a mixed methods study examining college students’ help-seeking experiences for suicidal crises. The current sample (n = 19) includes participants who endorsed seeking help from a hospital for their suicidal crisis (Mage = 22.2, SD = 11.8, 84.2% female, 94.7% White). Participants responded to open-ended questions about what the hospital did for them, what they found helpful or unhelpful, and what they perceived as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Results. Reflexive thematic analysis will be used to explore participants’ experiences and final results will be completed by the time of the conference. It is hypothesized that findings will align with prior research, which suggests patients find it helpful when they are treated with gentle care, the situation's complexity is understood, and their emotional experiences are prioritized alongside physical treatment. References. Strashny A, Cairns C,& Ashman JJ. (2023). Emergency department visits with suicidal ideation: United States, 2016–2020. NCHS Data Brief, 463. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/ cdc:125704.