Self-Reported Dignity among People Admitted to Psychiatric Wards and Its Association with Suicidal Behaviour: Perte de dignité auto-évaluée chez les personnes admises dans des services psychiatriques et son association avec les comportements suicidaires.

Abstract

ObjectiveDignity is an important construct in vulnerable persons; however, there is limited research examining dignity in patients with mental illness. Our study aims to examine self-reported dignity-related distress among psychiatric inpatients using the patient dignity inventory (PDI) and investigate the relationship between this distress and demographic and clinical variables, including suicidality.MethodsBetween June 2021 and July 2022, 97 participants were recruited from two hospitals in Winnipeg, Canada. Participants were patients admitted to acute psychiatric wards, 18 years or older, and provided informed consent. Participants completed a series of standardized self-report measures including the PDI and validated measures of depression, alcohol use, and suicidal behaviour. Demographic and clinical information was also obtained from patient charts. General linear models were used to investigate the relationship between dignity-related distress and demographic and clinical variables.ResultsThe majority of the study sample had moderate to high depression symptomatology (57.7%), previous psychiatric hospitalizations (67.4%), and previous suicide attempts (52.6%). Dignity-related distress was not associated with gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or education. Higher levels of dignity-related distress were associated with mental disorder comorbidities (P < 0.01), greater depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), and higher risk alcohol use behaviours (P < 0.001). Increasing levels of dignity-related distress were associated with greater intensity of suicidal ideation (P < 0.001) having at least one previous suicide attempt (P < 0.001), and having a high desire to die during that attempt (P < 0.001).ConclusionAmong psychiatric inpatients, impairment in their sense of dignity was associated with greater clinical severity including both a history of suicide attempt and current suicidal ideation. Further investigation may lead to targeted interventions to mitigate dignity-related distress and improve patient outcomes.