Suicide and mental illness
People with severe mental illness are at a higher risk of suicide than people who do not have mental health problems.
This information is from the Rethink Advice & Information Service's Suicide prevention factsheet
Treatment in a psychiatric hospital does not necessarily decrease the likelihood of suicide. Research has shown that the time immediately after discharge from hospital is when someone is most at risk.
This increased risk of suicide might be because treatment starts taking effect and the person begins to realise what has happened to them. During this time it is important to make sure the right levels of support are in place.
Some treatments can act to prevent suicidal feelings in people with mental illness. However, some drugs used in the treatment of mental illness have been shown to increase people's suicidal feelings for a few weeks after treatment starts. A doctor should tell someone all of the major risks involved with taking medication, and the doctor should be told about any suicidal feelings a patient has had in the past.
