Showing papers on "Suicide attempt published in 1973"

A computer interview for suicide-risk prediction

Abstract: To establish the feasibility of using computers to interview suicidal patients, the authors developed a computer program, a mathematical prediction model, and a "subjective" data base; computer interviews were then administered to 22 patients. The authors obtained a summary of the clinical state of each patient as well as a prediction of whether he would make a suicide attempt or not. They found that the patients preferred the computer interview to talking to a physician. In a separate retrospective study, the computer was more accurate than clinicians in predicting suicide attempts.

Suicide Attempts in an Urban Community, 1955 and 1970

Abstract: A comparison of in and outpatient hospital admissions for suicide attempts in an urban community in 1955 and 1970 revealed an 11 fold increase in attempts. The increase in suicide attempts exceeds the growth or changes in the structure of the population, the utilization of the emergency room by psychiatric or non-psychiatric patients and cannot be explained by changes in the health delivery during that time period. The suicide rate in the same community during that time period decreased slightly. The suicide rate in 1970 for the community studied was 7.3/100 000 and the crude suicide attempt rate was estimated at 183.4/100 000. — The characteristics of the attempts were examined. Most attempters were under 30 years of age, females outnumbered males 2∶1, most were single or divorced persons, social classes 1 and 2 were underrepresented reflecting the use of private doctors by this group. The racial distribution was representative of the area primarly served by the hospital. The majority of attempts were impulsive with little intent to kill oneself and by ingestion of pills. — A review of studies from Great Britain, Australia and Israel revealed remarkably similar findings as to the increase in attempts over the past decade and the characteristic of the attempters. These similarities suggest that the New Haven findings are representative of an urban trend. One population change noted which has an effect on the suicide attempt rate is the marked increase in-the high risk age group, persons 15–24, reflecting the rising birth rate following World War II. A rise in the suicide rate may occur as these young attempters mature and enter the age of risk for suicide. The current rate of suicide attempts in young persons, both in the United States and in other parts of the Western world, constitutes a significant public health problem.

Psychological "biopsy" in self-poisoning of children and adolescents.

Abstract: A "psychological biopsy" to assess suicidal intent was conducted by public health nurses on 50 subjects, ages 6 to 18, treated at a poison control center. The hospital diagnoses were accident in 42% and suicide attempt in 58%. After assessment, the diagnoses were accident in 4%, suicide gesture in 70%, suicide attempt in 2%, intoxication in 22%, and homicide in 2%. Prior suicide gestures had been made by 26% of the subjects. Extremes or divergence of parental expectations and control were found in 60%. A dominant pattern of hostility and low lethality of intent was associated with low parental control and low expectations as contrasted to a dominant depression in the high control-high expectations group. The authors propose a "rejection cycle" in which the parental response to the suicide gesture and to acting-out behavior favors recidivism.

Two years of suicide: A study of adolescent suicide in new hampshire

Abstract: In summarizing, it should again be stressed that this study is somewhat unique in that it deals with consecutive, completed, noninstitutionalized adolescent suicides, and it is felt that this feature may account for some of the discrepancies between these findings and those reported by other investigators. Results in this study that corroborated findings of others were: poor scholastic records, a high incidence of suicide threats, and a high incidence of marital discord among the parents of the victims. Those results that were contrary to the findings of other studies were: most of the victims were currently enrolled in school; they had no history of previous suicide attempts; there was a low incidence of psychiatric treatment and suicide in the family history; and there was no incidence of parental loss. Other findings of interest were: 50 percent of the victims enrolled in school were noticed to be in stress; the majority of the victims demonstrated academic or emotional difficulty in adjusting to the school environment and its demands; and only one victim was known to be involved with drugs. Perhaps the most important and most disheartening finding was that apart from an outright threat of suicide, it was almost impossible to distinguish the suicidal adolescent from the “normal” adolescent.

Suicide Attempts in the District of Columbia Prison System

Abstract: Studies of 46 attempted suicides at two correctional institutions maintained by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections indicate that a jail for inmates awaiting trial or sentencing had a suicide attempt rate of 3.2 per cent, while a reformatory for, long-term inmates had a suicide attempt rate of 1.4 per cent. Attempters at the jail have more disciplinary problems and are facing more serious offenses than a non-suicidal control group. The lethality of the attempt increases with the seriousness of the offense. The reformatory attempters have been incarcerated for shorter periods of time and have shorter minimum sentences than controls at that institution, and the lethality of the attempt increases when there is a history of previous attempts. The reformatory attempters are more apt to have a history of alcoholism than the jail attempt group. Three types of attempters are delineated: 1) depressives make up the greatest numbers, particularly at the jail; 2) manipulative attempts can occur at any ...

Lethality Patterns in Multiple Suicide Attempts

Abstract: There are few studies in the suicide literature where persons who make more than one suicide attempt are compared with persons who make only a single attempt. The present study investigated all patients (N = 347) who had come to Massachusetts General Hospital with a suicide attempt in 1965. In this group of patients, the 43 who had made multiple attempts were compared with a randomly selected group of 96 patients who had made only a single attempt. When compared to single attempters, multiple attempters made their initial attempt at an earlier age and at a lower lethal level (as measured by the Risk-Rescue Rating), had a more intense history of prior psychiatric treatment, and received more psychiatric treatment subsequent to the first attempt. Multiple attempters did not differ from single attempters with regard to sex, race, religion, or marital status at the time of the first attempt. Within the group of multiple attempters two subgroups emerged: (a) those who were younger, whose initial lethality level was lower, and who had shorter time intervals between attempts; and (b) those who were older, had higher initial lethality levels, and had longer time periods between attempts. For both subgroups, receiving psychiatric treatment following the first attempt lowered the lethality of their second attempt. Multiple regression analysis was employed to predict the lethal level of a subsequent attempt, should such occur. This predictive equation and the descriptive differences cited above may have direct implications for the management of suicidal persons.

Suicide Attempters in Norway

Abstract: A personal follow-up study is presented of 74 patients consecutively admitted to a Norwegian psychiatric hospital who had attempted suicide during the six months prior to admission. The mean observation time subsequent to discharge was eight years. Of these 74 patients, 5 later committed suicide (6.8 percent) and 16 (26 percent of the living) repeated the suicide attempt. The clinical and social course for the living patients is described. A previous report of a similar follow-up study on patients in a psychiatric department had demonstrated a much lower frequency of subsequent suicide and suicide attempts and a higher percentage of clinical cure and social rehabilitation. These differences are discussed and ascribed mainly to the greater proportion of psychotic patients in the hospital sample (82 percent versus 34 percent).