Examined extent and nature of suicide, attempted suicide, and intentional life-threatening behavior in long-term care facilities and differences in patterns of suicidal behavior by gender, age, and race. Results from 463 facilities revealed sex differences in terms of method chosen, and age differences on type of suicidal behavior and likelihood…

Assessed whether attitudes toward suicide vary as function of type of illness that precipitates suicide. College students (N=455) responded to scenarios of suicide victim. Evaluations of suicide were most favorable when it occurred in response to terminal physical illness; less favorable in response to chronic, non-terminal physical illness; and…

College students (N=780) read 1 of 12 scenarios of person who decided to commit suicide. Scenarios varied by age of victim (45 versus 70), gender, and illness (chronic depression, chronic physical pain, terminal bone cancer). Suicide evaluations tended to be significantly more favorable when evaluators were male, victims were male, victims were…

Twice interviewed methadone maintenance patients in three cities using Addiction Severity Index. Of subjects followed, 35.4 percent reported having experienced recent psychological symptoms. Found no relation between length of time in treatment at first interview and psychiatric severity. Over one-year period, treatment that subjects received from…

Implications for suicide prevention efforts are examined. It is concluded that psychiatric treatment of depression and restricting access to lethal methods for suicide are more useful tactics for suicide prevention programs in elderly, and crisis counseling from suicide prevention centers and educational programs are more useful in younger adults.…

To assess the predictive importance of recklessness in suicidality, 155 college students completed measures of experience, depression, and suicide ideation. Results indicated that recklessness was not a component of suicidality among these nonclinical older adolescents, although it might be in younger adolescents and clinical samples. (SLD)

Compared social and psychological features of Asian (n=13) and Caucasian (n=37) adolescents who had taken drug overdoses. Found that Asians were more socially isolated than Caucasians and that, despite Asians having low suicidal intent, they had higher rates of depression, hopelessness, long premeditation time, and previous overdose. (Author/NB)

Addresses whether present generations of adolescents and adults worldwide are at greater risk of developing suicidal reactions than previous generations and what the possible causal mechanisms involved are. Possible causal mechanisms include: prevalence of depression, prevalence of substance abuse, psychobiological changes, increased stressors,…

The public health approach to suicide prevention consists of health-event surveillance to describe the problem, epidemiologic analysis to identify risk factors, the design and evaluation of interventions, and the implementation of prevention programs. Community suicide prevention programs should include more than one strategy and, where…

Catholic college students (n=282) evaluated scenarios that manipulated precipitating illness and gender of suicide victim. Variables affecting the evaluator, such as gender, mood state, and religiosity, were also considered. Results indicated that the unacceptability of suicide is a function of precipitating illness and gender of victim as well as…

Investigated rates of birth, divorce, marriage, and unemployment for subgroups in Canada and the United States and their effects on suicide rates. In Canada, domestic integration and the economy predicted youth suicide rates more accurately than they did adult rates. The United States had less variation in predictors for age groups. (RJM)

Used trend analysis of suicide rate and female/male suicide ratios from 1950 to 1984 and regression of ratio on educational attainment, labor force participation, fertility, and divorce rates to examine explanations for rate changes. General anomie explanation of female suicide trends was supported for middle-aged females; conjugal anomie…

Compared African-American students attending predominantly white university (n=100) with those attending predominantly African-American university (n=102) on measures of depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, psychosocial stress, self-identity, and self-esteem. Found no significant differences between students attending African-American or…

Survey of school counselors revealed that schools with a written suicide policy incorporated more of the recommended components of suicide prevention programs than schools lacking written guidelines. Almost half the schools did not use components that are necessary to ensure a systematic and comprehensive suicide prevention program. (RJM)

Applies a suicide trajectory model to rates of suicide and attempted suicide to explain commonalities and age differences in risk factors affecting suicide across the life span. (HTH)