RESEARCH WEEKLY: Reframing the Asylums as a Necessary, Lifesaving Component Psychiatric beds are an important component of the continuum of psychiatric care, Dr. Steve Sharfstein argues at his January 8th, 2020 Wulfson Memorial Psychiatry Grand Rounds presentation in New York City. Rather than considered as a ‘last-resort’ or ‘failure of the system,’ Dr. Sharfstein proposes that acute inpatient care should be reframed as lifesaving and a necessary component of care. As evidence, he speaks about two of his former patients who had a suicidal plan; one who tragically died and the other who did not, in part due to their immediate access to an acute psychiatric bed. The Wulfson Memorial Psychiatry Grand Rounds at Weil Cornell Medical is an annual presentation given to physicians, medical residents, and students to honor Harris Wulfson, a man who died by suicide after escaping the psychiatric hospital. Suicide and psychiatric beds Dr. Sharfstein starts his talk by presenting work by himself and colleagues on the relationship between suicide and access to psychiatric beds. Over the past 30 years, the United States has seen a large increase in the rate of death by suicide in addition to a critical decline in the availability of psychiatric beds. When examining trends of both over time, the graphs mirror each other. Dr. Sharfstein posits the question of this relationship to the audience, “correlation or causation?” Although the question is in part a rhetorical one, he goes on to give evidence on how there are too few psychiatric beds available and that there is a critical role of acute patient care in supporting recovery. Goals of acute inpatient care include crisis stabilization and safety, comprehensive diagnostic formulation/reformulation, biological and psychological assessment, respite, family engagement, and comprehensive discharge planning, he says. “Perhaps correlation or causation is the wrong question,” Dr. Sharfstein says. “The right question may be, ‘how many suicides could be averted if we had more beds?’” A full copy of the presentation slides can be found here. **** Dr. Steve S. Sharfstein, served as the President and CEO of the Sheppard Pratt Health System for 25 years before retiring in 2016. Prior to his work in Maryland, Dr. Sharfstein served as the Director of Mental Health Service Programs at the National Institute of Mental Health and worked with First Lady Rosalynn Carter on the Mental Health Systems Act in 1980. Dr. Sharfstein is a member of the Treatment Advocacy Center Psychiatric Advisory Board. Elizabeth Sinclair Hancq Director of Research Treatment Advocacy Center References: Sharfstein, S. S. (January 8, 2020). The decrease in psychiatric beds and the increase in the suicide rate: Correlation or Causation? Wulfson Memorial Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Bastiampillai, T., et al. (2016). Increase in US suicide rates and the critical decline of psychiatric beds. JAMA Psychiatry. View as Webpage Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!