Conducted two studies on economic stress and suicide on same population. Second study combined aggregate economic indicators with individual-level measures of stressful events, symptoms, and suicidal ideation obtained in survey of Los Angeles, California (1978-82). Findings revealed small associations between economic stress and suicide or…

Briefly outlines problems associated with definition and official certification of suicide and reviews literature pertaining to validity and reliability of suicide statistics. Considers process of suicide certification as a test, estimating its sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value, using data from studies reviewed. (NB)

Reviews screening procedures developed to evaluate youths at high risk for suicide. Suggests strategies for increasing utility of such procedures, and outlines challenges that still face researchers attempting to validate risk evaluation procedure in community settings. Concludes that best strategy for identifying youth at high risk appears to be…

Interviewed 101 children (ages 6-12 years) and parents concerning child's behavior, emotions, development, ego functioning, concepts of death, and family history. Approximately 12 percent of children expressed suicidal ideas or acts. Suicidal children had significantly more intense preoccupations with death than did nonsuicidal children. (Includes…

Identified schizophrenic patients as distinctive subgroup of patients who can suffer from major depressive illness and can commit suicide. Found 22.4 percent of 620 schizophrenics in psychiatric facility showed symptoms of major depressive episode. Seven patients committed suicide during acute phase of illness, 9 attempted suicide while…

Examined changes in the age patterns of U.S. male and female suicide rates from 1934 to 1983. Found among Whites the age patterns of male and female suicide rates have become less concordant since about 1960. Found the age patterns of non-Whites have become more concordant since the mid-1950s. Identifies problems accounting for these changes.…

Compared 131 hospitalized schizophrenics who had attempted suicide within past year to 70 hospitalized schizophrenics who had not attempted suicide, using the Present State Examination depressive symptoms. Found that schizophrenics who had attempted suicide had significantly higher number of symptoms indicative of a depressive disorder. (Author/NB)

Examined suicide rates in nations of the world from 1970 to 1980 to see whether absolute increases were related to size of suicide rates. Found that nations with higher suicide rates experienced greater increases in suicide rates. Results support critical-mass theory and are consistent with explanation in terms of suggestion. (Author/NB)

Secondary school students (n=279) in Hong Kong responded to the Chinese version of the Reasons for Living Inventory. The popular important reasons were those associated with coping beliefs and family concerns, and the reasons regarded to be important by fewer respondents were those associated with fears. (JPS)

Among 61 Mexican American adolescents admitted to an El Paso inpatient psychiatric unit after a suicide attempt, those with high intent to complete suicide attempts differed from low-intent youth in having prior suicide attempts, having lived in El Paso for a shorter time, and having lived with both biological parents longer. Contains 58…

Attempts to integrate findings on correlates of suicide and violent risk in terms of a theory called a two-stage model of countervailing forces, which assumes that the strength of aggressive impulses is modified by amplifiers and attenuators. The vectorial interaction of amplifiers and attenuators creates an unstable equilibrium making prediction…

Compares and contrasts the contributions of various prevention models toward the theoretical reduction of suicide in the general population, and explores conceptual frameworks used to understand population-level risk factors. First-order and second-order targets of change in prevention efforts are defined and examples provided. (JPS)

Suicide prevention initiatives at the national level are most likely to impact the largest numbers of citizens. Canada lays some claim for recognition in the general field of suicide prevention as a result of a 1974 federal document focusing on health promotion. The authors discuss innovations and problems occurring in the various Canadian…

Examines the nature and distribution of self-reported depression among a sample of 887 students in Northern Ireland. Findings indicate that 12% of the total sample could be defined as depressed, and approximately 4% reported that they wanted to commit suicide. Significant sex or school form associations were not found, except in one form where a…

Examined social supports and bereavement of spouses of elderly suicide and natural deaths. Suicide survivors received significantly less emotional support for their feelings of depression and grief than natural death survivors, and they did not confide in persons in their network any more than nonbereaved controls did. Women reported receiving…