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In the last 2 decades, mental health-related visits to emergency departments (ED) in the United States increased 38% to 23.6 per 1000 population.

Suicidal patients are often forthcoming about their intentions for self-harm. The patient's intentions may be more difficult to infer after a nontraumatic suicide attempt and if the patient has an altered level of consciousness than after a self-inflicted traumatic injury. Patients with multiple seemingly unrelated somatic complaints may be depressed. High- and low-risk profiles for suicide risk are summarized in Table 185-1. Medication overdose is the most common type of suicide attempt.

Table 185-1 Evaluation of Suicide Risk in Adults and Adolescents

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