Abstract
IntroductionWe explore the use of CCTV footage to map suicidal self-injurious behavior on a subway platform to better understand the settings and the situational conditions of individuals just before they attempt suicide. MethodsWe use footage from CCTV cameras for gaining new insight into the situational conditions that relate to suicidal self-directed violence in the transit system in Stockholm, Sweden. We adopt a space-time budget template to record, step-by-step, what happens over time as individuals on the platform wait for an incoming train. The analysis applies visualization tools (VISUAL-TimePAcTS) and uses a cross-over design to identify risk factors associated with suicide. ResultsFindings show that suicide risk varies both temporally and spatially. Among all types of possible behaviors and places, being close to the edge of the platform of the opposite direction of the train and crossing the security line – this behavior and place combined – are associated with increased risk of suicide. ConclusionsWe confirm that using CCTV footage as data source provides valuable insight into relevant situational conditions in which suicides take place, which can be useful to inform prevention strategies, particularly information about behavior and place combined. The article concludes by reflecting upon the importance of these results for future research.
Highlights
We explore the use of CCTV footage to map suicidal self-injurious behavior on a subway platform to better understand the settings and the situational conditions of individuals just before they attempt suicide
The number of males who died by suicide was larger, half of them were younger than 30 years old, which differs from national average age on suicide statistics that indicates that middle aged and older men are overrepresented among suicidal individuals
With the help of the recorded material, we were able to see, among other things, that most people who attempt suicidal self-directed violence acts in the metro have specific behavioral patterns that can be analyzed with visualization tools and statistical analyses
Summary
We explore the use of CCTV footage to map suicidal self-injurious behavior on a subway platform to better understand the settings and the situational conditions of individuals just before they attempt suicide. Methods for obtaining information and conducting interventions in suicide prevention have recently expanded to include ICT - Information and Communication Tech nologies This is particular true for suicides in public places, such as transit environments including subways, railways, bridges, and roads, where ICT are often an inherent part of the infrastructure of the transit systems. Received 30 July 2020; Received in revised form 19 October 2020; Accepted 9 November 2020
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