Balancing Safety With Healing in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: Patient Perspectives on Suicide‐Focused Safety Measures, Setting Design, and Wellness‐Focused Programming

Suicide remains a pressing public health concern, and inpatient psychiatric settings are common places for individuals with suicide thoughts and behaviors to receive care. While increasing focus has been placed on inpatient environment safety and suicide prevention in recent decades, little research has focused on patients’ perspectives of safety measures and associated impact on the overall healing and therapeutic nature of psychiatric inpatient settings. A total of 50 patients within 48 h of discharge from an inpatient psychiatric setting provided informed consent to engage in a brief survey and qualitative interview with trained research staff regarding perceptions and experiences in an inpatient psychiatric environment. Clinical and demographic characteristics were explored quantitatively, and qualitative data were analyzed using an open coding technique. Most patients in the study were hospitalized in relation to suicide ( n  = 41, 82%). The majority endorsed satisfaction with the healing and/or therapeutic nature of the psychiatric setting ( n  = 44, 88%), such as art activities. Patients overall perceived the setting to be very safe ( n  = 39, 78%) from a suicide prevention standpoint. Qualitative themes that emerged from patient interviews included the setting’s physical/environmental space (e.g., pleasant wall color), patient access (e.g., visitors), programming and policies (e.g., art activities), clinical care (e.g., addressing root issues), hospital setting culture and values (e.g., inclusion), and staff/interpersonal interactions (e.g., attentive staff). Findings emphasize two overarching implications: (1) patients appreciate suicide prevention and risk management in inpatient care and (2) wellness‐focused programming promotes both healing and safety. Inpatient psychiatric settings should continue to consider and promote a balance of suicide prevention, safety, and risk management with opportunities to engage in therapeutic programming in a healing environment.