Background: The proximity of a psychiatric hospital to a railway infrastructure is a risk factor for railway suicide. Due to limited research results, no systematic reviews have extensively investigated the determinants of this association.
Aim: Scoping review of the current scientific knowledge on the institutional, patient-related and rail- and environment-related determinants of rail suicide in proximity of psychiatric hospitals and of existing preventive measures taken by rail managers in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Method: A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Relevant policy documents were requested from railroad administrators.
Results: Residential patients with a severe psychiatric disorder are at increased risk of railway suicide. Poor continuity of care and various rail and environmental factors appear to be other relevant risk factors. The rail sector in Belgium and the Netherlands appears to take specific measures to prevent rail suicide in the hotspots located near psychiatric hospitals.
Conclusion: Despite certain consistent findings about the population at risk for railway suicide, there is a clear need for more research concerning other possible determinants and the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs within a psychiatric context.