Russian levels of alcohol consumption and suicide are among the highest in the world. While observers have long suspected an association between the two, they were unable to investigate this hypothesis until recently due to past Soviet secrecy and thus a lack of data. This study took advantage of the newly available data during the post-Soviet era…

The sample of students completing the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) Survey at the University of Utah differs from the national reference group for the NCHA 2003 in age, employment, residence, and marital status. The purpose of this study is to determine if the defining characteristics of a commuter school increase the risk for suicidal…

An imbalance of the immune system and mixed personality profiles in suicide attempters have been reported. As suicidal behavior is common in patients with psychiatric disorders within the spectrum of depressive features, in this study we measured soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in plasma (sIL-2R) and investigated temperament and…

Self-mutilation is not a new trend or phenomenon in adolescents. Self-mutilation can be divided into three categories: major, stereotypic, and moderate/superficial. Moderate/superficial self-mutilation is the most common type in adolescents and includes cutting, burning, and carving. School nurses are positioned to identify, to assist, and to…

The unprecedented growth in the nation's older adult population has called attention to the increasing need for geriatric social workers. However, research suggests that social work students hold ageist attitudes that prevent many from pursuing careers in gerontology. The present study sought to identify student perceptions of gerontology content…

The first national toll free suicide crisis line for South Africa was launched in October 2003 with the aim of providing a service dedicated to the prevention of suicide in this country. The intervention was motivated by South Africa's suicide rate which had risen higher than the global suicide rate, with the majority of attempted suicides…

The annual Survey of High Achievers conducted by Who's Who Among American High School Students is the nation's largest, most comprehensive independent sampling of high school students' opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. All the high-achieving 16-18 year old students surveyed have "A" or "B" averages, and 98 percent plan to…

Without a suicide policy and programs in place, school boards may be held legally accountable. This brief describes the three major components of a suicide education program--prevention, intervention, and postvention. Elements of the primary prevention phase include a board-approved suicide-prevention policy, inservice programs for all staff,…

This book was designed to answer the question, "What should schools do to minimize the likelihood of student suicide?" Written by professionals representing the fields of law, psychology, and education, the legal portion of the book addresses the issue of what should be done, the psychological section on what is to be done, and the…

This book deals with the realities of adolescent suicide. It consists of 15 chapters organized under 5 major headings: The Problem of Adolescent Suicide (chapters 1 and 2); A Profile of the Attempter (chapters 3-6); Assessing Lethality (chapters 7 and 8); Prevention and Intervention (chapters 9-14); and Legal Issues (chapter 15). Individual…

A study examined news coverage by "The Saint Petersburg Times" of a local double teen suicide in August 1993. Focusing on how the story was covered, the study explored the newspaper's decision-making process, analyzing the process in relation to standard philosophical methods in ethics and recognized journalistic principles. As background,…

Many schools have been dealing with youth suicide and other death-related issues. From the experiences of the schools and other community organizations have emerged workable practices and procedures which can be implemented for general use. Schools can now develop and implement comprehensive plans to deal with death issues using a variety of…

Suicide is a personal act with a high degree of interpersonal effects and outcomes. The student contemplating or attempting suicide has reached a turning point in his life and is searching for a way out. Suicide rates among college-age students have tripled over the past 25 years. While national attention has been drawn to the problem of teenage…

This study focussed on two general areas of secondary school-based programs that were operational during the 1989-1990 school year: (1) Suicide prevention/intervention programmatic components which were utilized in the school setting; and (2) specific adolescent suicide prevention/intervention/postvention activities practiced by school counselors…

Previous research has shown that parents of children who commit suicide receive reduced emotional support from their community. More research in the area of attitudes toward child suicide may aid professionals in helping grieving friends and families and help pinpoint areas where more education may be needed. This study examined the differences…