Examined retrospective data on homicide-suicide in Australia to determine what differentiates homicides between adult sexual intimates that include suicide of offender from those that do not. Found that, if offender was male, estranged from partner, and used gun to kill more than one victim, or was older with ailing wife, he was more apt to also…

Upon admission to inpatient psychiatric facility, 20 adolescent serious suicide attempters and 20 nonattempters matched on depression scores were asked about their perceived hopelessness, social support, and loss preceding hospitalization. Found that loss and low family support were best predictors of adolescent's suicide attempt. Suicide…

Study of misclassification of suicide as other causes of death examined computerized California death certificates, 1966-90. Concluded that suicides are misallocated to at least five other causes of death (two of which have not been previously considered in literature) and are most likely to be underreported for groups with low official suicide…

Reviewed all English-language studies (14 foreign and 17 American) on campus student suicides. Only four single-site studies had higher suicide rate than comparable populations. Multiple-site collaborative studies done in U.S. since 1960 strongly suggest campus student suicide rate significantly less than in matched control population. (Author/NB)

Examined relationship between parental marital pattern (healthy, pathological, and mixed with respect to congruence between individuation and attachment) and completed adolescent suicide. Findings from 25 parental couples of completed adolescent suicides revealed that parental types showing incongruency between individuation and attachment were…

Examined stress perceived by telephone intervention volunteers (N=80) at suicide prevention center. Only amount of experience in telephone intervention with suicidal persons predicted stress level before shift. Stress during high-urgency call was related to level of urgency of call; total length of all calls received; and coping mechanisms of…

Discusses approach examining why individual did not kill himself when he could have been expected to do so. Uses approach to examine nonsuicide of Swedish playwright August Strindberg. Focuses on disjunction between Strindberg's early and later life, specifically on factors that enabled him to recover from psychotic episodes with suicidal…

Drawing on three leading theories of crime/deviance, a model is developed and tested to explain individual variation in the approval of suicide. Data from a national survey are used to test predictions. Predictions are partially supported. Strongest correlates of suicide approval are education, political liberalism, and certain religious…

Discusses suicide among gifted and talented students from a multicultural perspective. Focuses on the role of family, school, community, and culture in suicide prevention. (DB)

Philosophical roots of suicide research are examined, and alternative feminist research approaches are described. By challenging scientific tradition, focusing on women, considering power, recognizing gender constructs, maintaining awareness of the power of language, and promoting active, practical applications, researchers can combine traditional…

The relationship between suicidal behavior and gender, and between gender, culture, and cultural transition for Indians in South Africa is studied. Data on suicide rates are presented. Social change, tension between Indian culture and westernization, traditional power relations, and gender are considered. Three case studies are related to…

Study explores distinctions between chemically dependent suicide attempters, chemically dependent nonsuicidal adolescents, and high school students with no history of chemical dependency (N=250). Results reveal that there were significant differences between the chemically dependent groups. It was also found that the majority of suicidal gestures…

Suicides of persons under the age of 20 between 1990 and 1992 in Norway were examined for gender differences. Females more often attempted suicide, wrote farewell notes, and used less violent methods. The adjusted risk for suicide related to affective disorders and disruptive disorders differed little, as did the effect of frequent use of alcohol…

A former English professor describes his search for the author of a poem he first came across in 1970--a version of which appears in Stephen Chbosky's 1999 novel, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." He cites numerous dead ends, and various author identities, titles, and versions. His search ended after contacting the author, Dr. Earl…

Reviews 14 studies on suicide prevention centers to gauge the centers' preventive effect on suicide rates. Seven studies provide some support for a preventive effect, one found an increase in the suicide rates, and six failed to find any significant effects. Evidence, therefore, suggests a preventive effect from suicide prevention centers. (RJM)