March 2015

Having defended cases brought against our insured psychiatrists since the 1986, we know that patient suicide/attempted suicide is one of the top two allegations brought against psychiatrists in medical malpractice cases, the other being medication-related issues. We also know that assessing for suicide risk is critical to understanding the patient’s condition and developing an ...

This week’s MMWR from the CDC addresses suicide trends among persons aged 10-24 years from 1994-2012. The study’s findings include: • Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds in the US • There were 5,178 suicides in this age group in 2012 • The three most common methods are firearm, suffocation (including hanging), and poisoning (including drug overdos ...