Attitudes toward the concept of death are assessed and compared in relation to sex, age, social position, church attendance, and recency of death experience of family or friends. (JS)

Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death among teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 years in the United States. Some of the psychological variables which may be indicators of adolescent suicidal risk are a longstanding history of stress, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. This study examined the effects of a senior high school…

This guide presents advice for university faculty and professional staff members to help them understand and respond when students are in emotional distress. It includes a reference for signs of extreme stress and advice on how to intervene. Common causes of emotional distress are listed and warning signs of distress are given. Suggestions are…

This document presents data from phase one of a three-phase study examining suicide rates among farm residents in five states (Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin) between 1980 and 1985. The first phase is described as involving identification of suicide cases and an initial analysis of their causes. The report contains a…

Dually diagnosed adolescents suffering from both severe emotional disturbance and substance abuse/addiction constitute a special population which poses a challenge to health professionals in special education as well as clinical settings. The prevalence of substance use, abuse, and addiction has been shown to be significantly above the national…

This booklet was written to provide information on suicide. It begins with a brief explanation of the role of suicide in history. A section describing those who commit suicide looks at various populations: elderly persons, children, adolescents and young adults, males, females, blacks, and persons of different marital status. The next section…

The clinical usefulness of various empirically derived suicide potential rating scales has been questioned by several suicidologists. This study used actual case histories in an attempt to anchor suicide risk ratings. Thirty-three brief case histories of suicidal patients were given to 19 experienced crisis workers for seven-point ratings of…

The literature on suicide survivors suggests that suicide grief is different than the grief associated with survivorship from other causes. The few studies that have compared groups of survivors from other causes, however, have often not observed as many differences as expected based on the suicide survivors literature. In this study, 230 college…

General data on suicide among the elderly are available but the trends and levels often have been either ignored or misrepresented. Available data indicate that despite declines, suicide rates in the United States remain highest in old age. Impediments to understanding elderly suicide occur due to omissions in available national data bases.…

Suicide prevention techniques, from a clinical perspective, need to be as diversified as the population they serve. In certain special population groups, suicide has reached epidemic proportions, and there is a significant public health need for specific suicide prevention strategies. Special populations need to be identified and their suicide…

One low economic status social area and one high economic status social area population were selected for intensive study in the manner suggested by Shevky and Bell. In order to determine the frequency of suicide ideation and suicide related experiences among these social area types, five interdependent questions were asked: (1) Have you ever…

This report is the sixth in a series of reports designed to summarize the empirical research findings and major theoretical approaches relating to the issues of drug use and abuse. This volume reviews some of the major research studies which explore the nonmedical use of drugs as it relates to all modes of death. Included are studies describing…

The author describes his "Target Approach" to counseling depressed and/or suicidal patients. By tailoring a technique to selected characteristics ("targets") of the depression as well as to the personality of the patient, more effective counseling is achieved. This target approach involves 3 steps: (1) breaking the problem of…

This article discusses an instructional strategy used in a middle school health unit dealing with crisis prevention and intervention. (RC)