Investigated frequency of thoughts of suicides. Depression was related to respondent's reports of his/her own suicidal thoughts and to reports of frequent suicide ideation in others. Discrepancies suggest several factors which increase or decrease the likelihood that someone with thoughts of suicide will attempt suicide. (Author/BEF)

Investigates the relationship between the mean age of psychotic veterans hospitalized for suicidal or nonsuicidal behavior and the presence or absence of childhood onychophagia. (Author/RK)

Homicide-suicides (N=13), events in which an individual murders one or more persons and kills himself immediately afterward, were studied, The results are interpreted to suggest that persons who commit homicide-suicide are acting out a three-party rescue fantasy in an attempt to resolve unbearable stress. (Author)

A 31-item questionnaire was given to 199 students, 20 of whom were found to have histories of previous suicide attempts. Results support the necessity of a distinction between groups within a nonsuicidal comparison population and that a quantitative relationship between frequency of suicidal thought and likelihood of attempted suicide exists.…

Vulnerable people may become susceptible to the effects of shared life stress. To test this possibility, undergraduates and their roommates completed questionnaires on suicidality and stress. Consistent with an assortative relating process, roommates who chose to room together were more similar on a suicide index than were roommates who were…

College and university personnel are often confronted with several ethical and legal issues when responding to students who present with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts on campus. Article presents an overview of issues and solutions addressing ethical guidelines of the counseling profession and the university's goal of a safe learning…

Tests substance-related and non-substance-related psychiatric disorders as predictors of attempted suicide among adolescents. Bipolar disorder, cocaine use disorders, and conduct disorder were found to be predictive of attempted suicide in univariate testing. Higher rates of cocaine use disorder/conduct disorder, hallucinogen use disorder/conduct…

Proposes that in order to move beyond the simple identification of risk factors, scientific suicidology needs to give greater attention to the critical role of theory in guiding inquiry and advancing the understanding of suicidal behaviors. This article argues the importance of theoretical grounding from the perspective of psychological science…

To see if suicide attitudes might be softened by extenuating circumstances, such as terminal illness, African American and European American women imagined themselves in one of four extenuating circumstances then completed measures of suicide acceptability and religiosity. Both ethnic groups reported a greater likelihood of suicide when imagining…

Offers suggestions for risk assessment of suicidal religious person. Asserts that religion may either inhibit or facilitate suicide and the examination of role of religion or spirituality in the lifestyle of the suicidal person is an important factor in risk assessment. Provides specific questions for the risk assessment interview to determine the…

Investigated relationship between ego identity development and suicidal inclinations at adolescence. Results from suicidal (N=10) and normative (N=30) adolescents revealed that most of the ego identity factors examined differentiated between the two groups. Findings support hypothesis that ego identity formation at adolescence may serve as…

Explored relationship of homosexuality to suicidal behavior by questionnaire responses from 52 men in gay and lesbian college organizations and 56 men in homosexual rap groups. Family background of alcoholism and physical abuse, social supports perceived as rejecting homosexuality, and no religious affiliation were associated with history of…

Describes program of suicide postvention which provides assistance to the survivors of a suicide. The clinical process of school-based postvention (as developed by Youth Suicide Prevention Services in the Department of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is presented. Includes case presentation of postvention…

Discusses strategies for conducting research on detection and treatment of suicidal ideation and behavior in primary health care settings. Examines problems and results from ongoing study of adolescent health care to focus discussion. Illustrates how, depending on questions asked and individual's gender, number of youths considered at risk for…

Reviews three prominent methods for evaluating suicidal risk in college students. Considers methods which focus on identifying personality characteristics of suicidal students; developing techniques to measure suicidal risk; and analyzing the behavior of suicidal college students. Stresses need for further educational efforts to increase awareness…