Suicide Group Research Articles

Субъективная неудовлетворенность потребности в межличностном общении и признаки психологического неблагополучия у подростков и молодых людей с разным уровнем суицидального риска

Background. Suicidal risk in adolescence and youth refers to one of the actual forms of autodestructive behaviour associated with socio-psychological factors. Objective. The aim was to reveal the relationship between subjective dissatisfaction with the interpersonal communication and signs of psychological difficulties (aggressive behavior, substance use, anxious and obsessive thoughts, suicidal thoughts) in adolescents and young people with different levels of suicidal risk. Methods. Participants filled in the interpersonal needs questionnaire (INQ-15) and a questionnaire diagnosing signs of psychological difficulties. Sample. 92 adolescents and young adults aged 12–21 years without experience of suicidal thoughts, 132 adolescents and young adults with experience of suicidal thoughts but not actions, as well as 55 adolescents and young people who were treated in crisis hospitals for suicidal acts took part in the study. Results. The Russian version of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire is a reliable and factor valid technique to assess the feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in adolescents and young adults. Suicidal risk in adolescents and young adults is associated with interpersonal failure, loneliness, longing, which leads into feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. In adolescents and youth with different suicidal risk, these feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness are associated with the recognition of psychological problems, and feelings of burden are associated with the recognition of aggressive behavior. The feeling of thwarted belongingness is associated with aggressive behavior only in adolescents and young people with suicidal thoughts and actions. Conclusion. The association of feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness with the recognition of psychological problems in different suicidal risk groups, and the association of feelings of burden with the recognition of aggressive behavior indicates the importance of interpersonal communication factors in understanding subjective well-being in adolescents and young adults in general.

Until death do us part – a case report of a suicide pact and a literature review

Until death do us part – a case report of a suicide pact and a literature review

Peculiarities of the Phenotype Signs in Suiciders

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of phenotypic characteristics of persons prone to suicidal actions. Analysis of the number of suicides, factors and conditions of their occurrence is difficult and subjective, as it is associated with insufficient information about the causes of suicides.
 In this regard, the search for markers that allow identifying persons prone to suicidal states, in order to carry out preventive measures with him in order to prevent cases of suicide, becomes particularly relevant.
 The aim of to determine the complex of anthroposcopic and dermatoglyphic parameters of fingers and toes, which make up the dermatoglyphic constitution of persons who committed suicide.
 Materials and methods of the study. 2 groups of people were studied: 1 group – corpses of people who committed suicide (100 people: 50 men and 50 women); Group 2 - individuals of the control group who died as a result of an accident (100 people: 50 men, 50 women). Research methods: anthroposcopic, dermatoglyphic, statistical analysis.
 Results of the study. After studying and processing the questionnaire data, which contained information about descriptive characteristics, we obtained the following indicators, which slightly differed in gender groups, therefore, they are presented in aggregates without division by gender.
 Skin color, taking into account the fact that all studied groups belong to Caucasians, ranged from light shades. The group of suicide victims was dominated by people with white (54.6%) and yellow skin tones (38.6%). However, a relatively higher percentage (38.6%) of people with a yellow skin tone occurred among the suicide victims in the control group. among suicide victims, persons with straight black (39.5%) and dark blond (27.9%) hair predominate, and relatively few persons with brown hair (4.7%). In comparison with the control group, the specified ratio is preserved. It was found that in the group of suicides, compared to the control group, there were more people with triangular (11.6%), rectangular (13.9%) and round (25.6%) face shapes. However, within the group of suicides, individuals with an oval-elongated face predominated (48.9%). The facial features of suicide victims were mostly average (79.1%), the forehead height was average (53.5%) or high (44.2%), the forehead slope was vertical (30.9%) or tilted back (66.7 %), the forehead was wide (51.2%), the frontal ridges were moderately expressed (46.5%); the lower jaw did not protrude forward (90.7%), the lips were mostly narrow (61.4%), and the nose was wide (88.6%). As for the color of the eyes, among the suicide victims there was a predominance of persons with blue (34.0%) and light (28.3%) and dark (18.9%) brown eyes. Compared to the control group, blue-eyed people were more common, and persons with checkered-green and mixed eye color were less common. In 93.2% of cases, the incision of the eyes of suicide victims is almond-shaped. The study of the obtained dermatoglyphic parameters of the fingers showed that in persons prone to suicidal actions, the frequency of occurrence of an arc-type pattern (A) on the distal phalanges of the II and IV fingers of both hands was 10.1% (control group - 5.1%), the pattern type radial loop (Lr) on the right hand was 15.2% (control group 30%). On the distal phalanges of the toes of suicide victims, type A patterns predominated (30.2% vs. 15.05 in the control group), a high frequency of curls (W) on the II toes of both feet (25% of cases on the right and 32.3% of cases on the left).
 Conclusions. In the course of the study, the presence of phenotypic (anthroposcopic and dermatoglyphic) signs characteristic of suicides was established.
 Keywords: forensic medicine, suicide, dermatoglyphics.

A nomogram of suicidal ideation among men who have sex with men in China: Based on the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a high-risk group for suicide, with a much higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) than the general population and male population. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors influencing the development of SI and to develop and validate a nomogram among MSM. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 915 MSM from Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Kunming, China using the snowball sampling method. The integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model of suicidal behavior was used as a theoretical framework to collect different potential influencing factors of SI including diathesis-environment-life events factors and psychosocial factors. The risk factors of SI were screened by logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram for predicting SI were developed. Model properties including discrimination, calibration and decision curves were evaluated to validate the prediction model. 882 MSM were included in the statistical analysis, with a lifetime prevalence of SI of 34.4% (303/882). Logistic regression analysis showed that age group, sexual orientation disclosure, high-risk sexual behavior, entrapment, defeat and interpersonal needs were associated with SI. A nomogram was constructed based on the above six predictors. AUC values of ROC for prediction model were 0.761 (0.641-0.770) and 0.754 (0.565-0.822) in the training set (n = 662) and validation set (n = 220), respectively. And there was no statistical difference of the AUC values between the two sets (P > 0.05). The calibration plots of the prediction model in both sets fit well with the ideal model (P > 0.05). The decision curves demonstrated that the threshold probability of prediction model in training set was 1-85%, whereas in validation set was 1-63%. The lifetime prevalence of SI among Chinese MSM is high. The nomogram can serve as a useful tool to predict the development of SI among MSM. Defeat, entrapment and interpersonal needs, as significant predictors of SI, can be measured to identify SI in advance. Early assessment of SI and the enhancement of psychosocial interventions are important to prevent suicide-related behaviors. Future studies could incorporate more variables of interest to refine the prediction model to better guide behavioral and psychological intervention strategies among MSM.

Analysis of risk factors for readmission of pneumoconiosis patients in Hunan

Objective: To explore the risk factors of pneumoconiosis patients' re-admission to provide a scientific basis for improving the treatment effect of pneumoconiosis, reducing the rate of re-admission, and reducing the burden of disease. Methods: In June 2020, The clinical data of 470 patients with pneumoconiosis who had hospitalization records from February 8, 2014, to February 8, 2020, in the Hunan Provincial Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute were retrospectively analyzed. The patients' general data and emotional state at the first admission were collected through questionnaires and telephone follow-ups. The entire group of patients completed at least one follow-up, with readmission as the end event. First, the Kaplan-Meier method was used for univariate analysis. The multivariate COX regression model analysis was performed on meaningful variables to explore the risk factors that affect the patient's re-admission. Results: A total of 470 patients with pneumoconiosis were included in this study, with an average age of 55.88 years (34-81 years old) and all the participants were male. During the first admission, the number of participants diagnosed as stage III pneumoconiosis, with complications of COPD, fatty liver, or severe pulmonary diffusion dysfunction was 215 (45.74%) , 179 (38.09%) , 51 (10.85%) , and 44 (9.36%) , respectively. Six patients (1.28%) have had suicidal tendencies almost every day since they became ill. A total of 345 patients (73.40%) were re-admitted to the hospital. Multivariate Cox regression model analysis showed that compared with the suspected pneumoconiosis group, patients in the first, second, and third-stage pneumoconiosis groups had an increased risk of readmission (OR=2.43, 2.96, 2.35, P=0.000) . Compared with the age of 30-50 years old, 50-70 years old and ≥70 years old have an increased risk of readmission (OR=1.28, 2.32, P<0.05) . Patients with tricuspid regurgitation (OR=1.33, P<0.05) and elevated triglyceride level (>2.26 mmol/L) (OR=1.40, P<0.05) have increased risks of readmission. Compared with the normal group, patients with severe pulmonary diffusion dysfunction in pneumoconiosis have an increased risk of readmission (OR=1.96, P<0.05) . Compared with the normal group, pneumoconiosis patients in the suicidal group had an increased risk of re-admission to the hospital almost every day (OR=2.92, P<0.05) . Conclusion Age of onset, stage of pneumoconiosis, tricuspid regurgitation, high triglycerides, severe diffuse pulmonary dysfunction, and suicidal tendency are independent risk factors that affect the readmission of patients with pneumoconiosis. The management of chronic diseases and mental health of patients with pneumoconiosis should be strengthened to reduce the risk of readmission. Conclusion: Age of onset, stage of pneumoconiosis, tricuspid regurgitation, high triglycerides, severe diffuse pulmonary dysfunction, and suicidal tendency are independent risk factors that affect the readmission of patients with pneumoconiosis. The management of chronic diseases and the mental health of patients with pneumoconiosis should be strengthened to reduce the risk of readmission.

Identifying the suicidal ideation risk group among older adults in rural areas: Developing a predictive model using machine learning methods.

The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model that can identify the suicidal ideation risk group among older adults in rural areas using machine learning methods. This study applied an exploratory, descriptive and cross-sectional design. The participants were older adults (N=650) aged over 65 living in rural areas of South Korea. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect the demographics, suicidal ideation, depression, socioeconomic information and basic health information from September to October 2020. The collected data were analysed using machine learning methods with R statistical software 4.1.0. The predictive models indicated that depression, pain, age and loneliness were significant factors of suicidal ideation. Good performance was observed based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the decision tree, random forest and logistic regression. Finally, the evaluation of model performance indicated moderate to high sensitivity and specificity. The predictive models using machine learning methods may be useful to predict the risk of suicidal ideation. Furthermore, depression with pain, age and feelings of loneliness should be included in the initial screening to assess suicide risk among older adults in rural areas. Identifying suicidal risk among older adults is challenging. Thus, employing predictive models that can assess depression, pain, age and loneliness can enable public healthcare providers to detect suicidal risk groups. Particularly, the presented models from this study can facilitate healthcare providers with initiating early interventions to prevent suicide among older adults in clinical and community nursing care settings. The reporting of this study (Observational, cross-sectional study) conforms to the STROBE statement. No patient or public contribution. This study did not involve patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public. Applying this model may help to prevent geriatric suicide because the nursing staff will have a greater awareness regarding the suicide ideation risk of older adults, thereby reducing the possibility of their suicide.

Validation of the highly sensitive person scale for suicide screening in high-risk groups: A case-control study

Purpose: High sensitivity is among the risk factors that increase psychological burden, increasing the risk of suicide in some people. The aim of the study was to develop a Korean version of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale and investigate its psychometric properties. Diagnostic validity was evaluated to identify those with high suicidal risk.Methods: A total of 176 participants were recruited from the 12 hospital-based Crisis Response Centers across South Korea. As a case-control study, we used two groups: suicidal risk group and control group. Those with suicidal ideation or attempts were classified as suicidal risk group, and the control group sample were recruited from the Crisis Response Centers workers. Tests for internal consistency and concurrent validity with other scales were conducted.Results: Results showed strong item-total correlation and concurrent validity. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.881. The HSP cutoff score of 13 yielded the best balance between sensitivity (74%) and specificity (87%). Construct validity was supported by a one-factor model using exploratory factor analysis.Conclusion: Overall, the current study supports the use of HSP in psychiatric settings as a valid screening tool for suicidal risk.

Suicide Screening Questionnaire-Self-Rating (SSQ-SR): Development, reliability, and validity in a clinical sample of Korean adults

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Suicide Screening Questionnaire-Self-Rating (SSQ-SR). A 25-item SSQ-SR is a newly developed suicide screening tool that measures suicide risk factors, including a history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), life stress, and mental health problems. To investigate the reliability and validity of the SSQ-SR, we conducted a longitudinal case-control study with adults with and without STBs in the past six months. A total of 176 participants were recruited through 12 hospital-based Crisis Response Centers across South Korea. At the baseline, we administered the SSQ-SR, the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). In a 6-months follow-up, we investigated whether the participants engaged in suicidal ideation, plan, or attempt since the baseline assessment. As a result, the SSQ-SR demonstrated a strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.96). In addition, the total score of SSQ-SR had concurrent validity compared to the total scores of the BSSI and the PHQ-9. In comparing the suicidal groups with the control group, the ROC analysis indicated the optimal cut point at 31 with a sensitivity rate of 0.97 and a specificity rate of 0.98. Through explanatory factor analysis, two factors were identified: Mental Health and Environmental Factors and Active Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors. The SSQ-SR total and sub-factor scores were prospectively associated with subsequent suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt. These findings support that the SSQ-SR is a promising tool in prospectively screening those who are at risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, and nonfatal attempts.

Evaluation of Psychological Resilience, Alexithymia, and Impulsivity Characteristics in Persons Who Attempted Suicide with Drugs.

In this study, it was aimed to research the connection between psychological resilience, alexithymia, depression, anxiety and impulsivity in patients who attempted suicide with drugs. The patient group (n = 66) who attempted suicide with drugs and the control group (n = 66) without any psychiatric diagnosis were examined in the study. Sociodemographic data form, Psychological Resilience Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) were used in the study. It was found that PRS dedication and challenge are significantly higher in the control group (p = .039 and p = .003, respectively). When the undiagnosed group who attempted suicide were compared with the control group, it was observed that there is a significant difference between BIS-11 total and TAS total after bonferonni correction (respectively; p = .002; p = .001), while, there is no statistically significant difference in terms of PRS total score (p = .483). It was observed that patients who attempted suicide with drugs had low levels of psychological resilience, high alexithymia levels. In the absence of an additional diagnosis of depression, psychological resilience did not differ in terms of suicide attempts. In the suicide group, those who did not receive any additional diagnosis were not more impulsive than those who were depressed.

Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand University Students Intentions to Seek Help If Experiencing Mental Distress: A Comparison of Naturalistic and Interventional Findings.

University students globally are consistently identified as a vulnerable group for mental distress and suicide. Despite this, students report low engagement in help-seeking behaviours. This series of studies aimed to assess barriers to help-seeking for students and the impact of an intervention that sought to increase support-seeking intentions. In Study 1, 373 undergraduate psychology students completed items related to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, stigma, and help-seeking intentions. In Study 2, 133 undergraduate psychology students were randomly allocated into one of three intervention groups (control, infographic, video) and completed measures as used in Study 1. Despite experiencing clinically relevant symptoms and recent suicidal ideation, students in Study 1 tended to report low intentionality to seek help, citing perceptions that their distress was not serious enough or a desire to handle their issues independently. In Study 2, an infographic about different support services increased student's intentions to access support services and reduced their perception that their issues were not serious enough. Overall, Aotearoa New Zealand students endorsed similar barriers to help-seeking as students in other countries. Importantly, we demonstrated that a simple infographic intervention reduced perceptions regarding these common barriers and may increase students' knowledge about when to seek help.

Characteristics of suicidal poisoned patients admitted to tertiary care center during COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundSuicidal poisoning is a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic that has several physical and mental hazards. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of suicidal poisoned patients admitted to a tertiary poison control center during the pandemic lockdown and assess COVID-related knowledge and attitude among those patients to identify the high-risk group for suicide. This cross-sectional study was conducted on acutely poisoned patients admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Center from June to December 2020. Upon admission, socio-demographic data, causative poisoning agents, COVID-related knowledge and attitude, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were collected from all participants.ResultsA total of 254 poisoned patients were categorized into suicidal (85.04%) and accidental (14.96%) poisoning groups. The former was caused mainly by phosphides and was significantly associated with a history of using psychotropic medications and high HAM-A and HAM-D results. Logistic regression analysis showed that a history of psychiatric illness, low attitude scores, and high HAM-D scores were significant risk factors for suicidal poisoning.ConclusionsConsiderable number of suicidal poisoned patients had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of providing specialized psychiatric services in poisoning centers, particularly among vulnerable populations, to prevent the overwhelming repeated suicidal attempts.

Assessment of acute and non-acute suicide crisis symptoms: Validation of the Korean version of the acute suicidal affective disturbance inventory.

Suicide risk assessment is predominantly based on assessing current/recent suicidal ideation and past suicidal behavior. However, suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempt are poor predictors of imminent suicide risk or crisis. The acute suicidal affective disturbance inventory-lifetime (ASADI-L) was developed to assess symptoms of acute suicidal affective disturbance, which includes a drastic increase in suicidal intent, perceptions of social and/or self-alienation, hopelessness, and overarousal. However, the ASADI-L has not yet been validated in a Korean population. Also, the ASADI-L has only been validated for people who experience a drastic increase in suicidal intention over the course of hours or days (i.e., the acute suicidal intention group) and not validated for those who experience suicidal intention for a longer period (i.e., the non-acute suicidal intention group). Thus, the aims of this study were to (1) validate the ASADI-L in a sample of Korean community adults; and (2) compare clinical characteristics of the acute and non-acute suicidal intention groups. Among 1,675 community adults, data from 682 participants who reported a lifetime drastic increase in suicidal intent were analyzed. Results indicated that the ASADI-L has relevant reliability, validity, and a unidimensional factor structure. The acute suicidal intention group had higher ASAD symptoms as well as clinical symptoms than the non-acute group, but the two groups did not differ in history of suicide attempt. Overall, these findings suggest that the ASADI-L is a valid measure of acute and non-acute suicidal affective disturbance among Korean adults. Further investigation of the differences in acute and non-acute suicide risk is warranted.

FINGERPRINT MARKERS OF DELINQUENCY IN THE GROUP OF SERIAL KILLERS AND SUICIDES

The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of a number of combinations of types of papillary finger patterns, most characteristic of a group of serial killers and a group of suicides. It is established that combinatorics is most characteristic for both groups, in which the sum of the pattern codes of the index and middle fingers is equal to the value of the pattern code of the ring finger (right hand). The frequency of its occurrence in both comparison groups is 10%, which is about 10 times more frequent than in the control. Considering that papillary patterns are innate signs, the commonality of dermatoglyphic signs in serial killers and suicides indicates the influence of a biological factor on the likelihood of delinquent and deviant behaviors in humans (at least in some people).

An attempted “suicide pact” in Covid-19 era – psychiatric perspectives

BackgroundA "suicide pact" is a joint and actively induced death of two individuals with the essential and unavoidable characteristic of a mutual consent. One of the partners (dominant in the relationship, commonly male) usually induces the action and in most cases, it is the one who actively carries it out. Undiagnosed psychopathological dimension or pathological subthreshold traits are found in those who enter into suicide agreements, the presence of cluster B personality traits such as narcissistic or borderline is of particular relevance in the dominant partner, while in the submissive one dependent personality traits are more frequent. As in the case of other similar health emergencies, COVID-19 pandemic seems to lead to greater suicidality, including the "suicide pacts" of couples whose motivation varies including firstly financial problems, strictly followed by fear of infection and not being able to return home from abroad. Case presentationWe reported a case of a couple who entered a suicide agreement consequently to the economic difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, hospitalized in our department. Both partners were assessed with Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and both crossed the threshold for clinically relevant autistic traits (M = 67; F = 49).ConclusionThis case further confirms the link between COVID-19 pandemics and suicidality. The role of autism spectrum traits as a vulnerability factor towards the development of severe psychopathological consequences after traumatic events is also stressed.

Double suicide in Japan in the post-war reconstruction period, with reference to contemporary Japan.

After Japan's post-war reconstruction, in the early 1950s, cases of double suicide, in which two people (particularly young lovers) leave a suicide note and die together, were a relatively frequent occurrence. During the three-year period between 1954 and 1956, 5466 suicides were recorded in the special wards of Tokyo, including 79 cases of double suicides, accounting for 158 deaths. In these double suicide cases (2.89% of all deaths by suicide), the evidence revealed that 65.8% involved lovers and 29.1% involved married couples. By contrast, contemporary data indicate a large drop in suicide pacts between lovers to 15.9% and an increase between spouses to 48.8%. Conceivably, the relatively high double-suicide rate after post-war reconstruction reflected difficulties for the younger generation in reconciling 'marriage based primarily on love' and the traditional family system, specifically marriage problems and stress caused by rapidly changing post-war values. One notable difference between victims of double suicide in 1954-1956 and the contemporary period is the younger average age of the former. Another important shift was found in the most common causes of death among victims of double suicide: in 1954-1956 these were poisoning by cyanide or hypnotic drugs, compared to carbon monoxide poisoning and hanging in modern times. We discuss similarities and differences concerning double suicides in relation to social and economic conditions in Japan in the 1950s and today.

Mortality inequalities measured by socioeconomic indicators in Brazil: a scoping review.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE Summarize the literature on the relationship between composite socioeconomic indicators and mortality in different geographical areas of Brazil.METHODS This scoping review included articles published between January 1, 2000, and August 31, 2020, retrieved by means of a bibliographic search carried out in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Lilacs databases. Studies reporting on the association between composite socioeconomic indicators and all-cause, or specific cause of death in any age group in different geographical areas were selected. The review summarized the measures constructed, their associations with the outcomes, and potential study limitations.RESULTS Of the 77 full texts that met the inclusion criteria, the study reviewed 24. The area level of composite socioeconomic indicators analyzed comprised municipalities (n = 6), districts (n = 5), census tracts (n = 4), state (n = 2), country (n = 2), and other areas (n = 5). Six studies used composite socioeconomic indicators such as the Human Development Index, Gross Domestic Product, and the Gini Index; the remaining 18 papers created their own socioeconomic measures based on sociodemographic and health indicators. Socioeconomic status was inversely associated with higher rates of all-cause mortality, external cause mortality, suicide, homicide, fetal and infant mortality, respiratory and circulatory diseases, stroke, infectious and parasitic diseases, malnutrition, gastroenteritis, and oropharyngeal cancer. Higher mortality rates due to colorectal cancer, leukemia, a general group of neoplasms, traffic accident, and suicide, in turn, were observed in less deprived areas and/or those with more significant socioeconomic development. Underreporting of death and differences in mortality coverage in Brazilian areas were cited as the main limitation.CONCLUSIONS Studies analyzed mortality inequalities in different geographical areas by means of composite socioeconomic indicators, showing that the association directions vary according to the mortality outcome. But studies on all-cause mortality and at the census tract level remain scarce. The results may guide the development of new composite socioeconomic indicators for use in mortality inequality analysis.

Suicide versus homicide firearm injury patterns on trauma systems in a study of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB)

Firearm related mortality in the USA surpassed all other developed countries. This study hypothesizes that injury patterns, weapon type, and mortality differ between suicide groups as opposed to homicide. The American College of Surgeons National Trauma Database was queried from January 2017 to December 2019. All firearm related injuries were included, and weapon type was abstracted. Differences between homicide and suicide groups by sex, age, race, and injury severity were compared using a Mann–Whitney test for numerical data and Fisher’s exact test for categorical data. The association between weapon type and mortality relative to suicide as opposed to homicide was assessed in Fisher’s exact tests. Significance was defined as p < 0.05. There were 100,031 homicide and 11,714 suicide subjects that met inclusion criteria. Homicides were mostly assault victims (97.6%), male (88%), African–American (62%), had less severe injury (mean (ISS) 12.07) and a median age of 20 years old (IQR: 14, 30, p < 0.01). Suicides were mostly male (83%), white (79%), had more severe injury (mean ISS 20.73), and a median age of 36 years old (IQR: 19, 54, p < 0.01). Suicide group had higher odds of head/neck (OR = 13.6) or face (OR = 5.7) injuries, with lower odds of injury to chest (OR = 0.55), abdominal or pelvic contents (OR = 0.25), extremities or pelvic girdle (OR = 0.15), or superficial soft tissue (OR = 0.32). Mortality rate was higher for suicide group (44.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 43.9%, 45.7%) compared to the homicide group (11.5%; 95% CI 11.3%, 11.7%). Suicide had higher mortality, more severe injuries, and more head/neck/facial injuries than homicide. Majority of suicides were with handguns.

Differences in temperament and character inventory (TCI) profile between suicidal and nonsuicidal psychiatric outpatients.

The purpose of this study was to identify personality traits associated with suicide attempt in a clinical sample. Temperament and character inventory (TCI) profiles of 759 patients who met the inclusion criteria among 1000 randomly selected hospital records collected. Of these 759 patients, 103 had a history of at least 1 actual suicide attempt (suicidal group) whereas 656 had no such history (nonsuicidal group). The suicidal group showed higher scores of novelty seeking (mean ± SD: 36.1 ± 1.2 vs 33.3 ± 0.5; P = .026) and harm avoidance (57.1 ± 1.5 vs 53.0 ± 0.6; P = .01) but lower scores of self-directedness (27.5 ± 1.5 vs 34.4 ± 0.6; P < .001) than the nonsuicidal group. Higher novelty seeking (OR [95% CI]: 1.031 [1.008–1.054]; P = .007) and lower self-directedness: 0.955 [0.927–0.983]; P = .002 were also associated with suicide attempts in the analysis of 7 personality scales. These findings suggest that patients who attempt suicide differ from nonattempters in terms of personality traits, especially in novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), and self-directedness (SD). It is noteworthy that this study contains data from actual visits to the emergency room to evaluate suicide attempts.Abbreviations: CO = cooperativeness, Ha = harm avoidance, NS = novelty seeking, PS = persistence, RD = reward dependence, SD = self-directedness, ST = self-transcendence, TCI = temperament and character inventory.

Single and combined effects of marital status, education attainment, and employment status on suicide among working-age population: A case-control study in South Korea

BackgroundSuicide in the working-age population is an important public health issue. This group is heterogeneous regarding marital status, education level, and employment status, which are generally important socioeconomic factors for suicide, and has a wide age range. This study aims to explore the individual and combined effect of these socioeconomic factors on suicide in different age groups among the working-age population. MethodsThis study utilized a population-based case-control design for the working-age population in South Korea. Suicide cases were identified in Korean Governmental Death Registry from 2008 to 2017, and eight controls from Korea Community Health Survey were matched to each case by gender, age group, and year of suicide. Conditional logistic regression models estimated the relationship between marital status and socioeconomic status (SES) including educational attainment and employment status and suicide and examined the combined effect of the SES indicators and marital status on suicide. ResultsLow education, single status, and unemployment or economically inactive status were associated with suicide, but their magnitude varied across SES indicators. The association between SES and suicide was more pronounced in younger adults. The suicide risk was highest among divorced women aged 25–34 years (OR = 7.93; 95% CI: 7.21–8.72). Individuals experiencing two social adversities among SES or marital status had a significantly increased suicide risk. Those who are divorced and unemployed or economically inactive have the highest suicide risk, specifically among men aged 24–35 years (OR = 17.53; 95% CI: 14.96–20.55). ConclusionsMarital status, education attainment, and employment status have a separate and combined impact on suicide among the working-age population. Specifically, the divorced and unemployed or economically inactive status amplified suicide risk, predominantly among young adults. Monitoring and intervention for those young adults should be considered for suicide prevention.

Peticide: An Analysis of Online News Media Articles of Human Suicide Involving Pet Animals

ABSTRACT While pets may be protective for some people at risk of suicide, they may also become a risk factor or even become co-victims when humans end their own lives. It is important to protect against simplistic approaches to human–animal relationships, especially where simplification may endanger human and/or animal lives. Using publicly accessible online media articles between 2010 and 2020, this research sought to progress our understanding of suicidal acts involving pet animals. Sixty-one articles from six countries were identified; a mixed-methods qualitative descriptive (QD) approach to analysis was undertaken composed of descriptive statistical mapping followed by thematic content analysis. Almost 90% of the articles reported the deaths of multiple humans and 23% reported the deaths of multiple animals. A total of 116 animals were identified: mainly dogs, but also 8 cats, 2 rabbits, and 2 non-specified pets. Most animals died, with only nine surviving. Five key categories of scenarios were identified: extended suicides, mercy killings, suicide pacts, family annihilators, and unique. A further level of analysis was undertaken focused on the family annihilator reports (44/61 articles) using a published homicide-suicide typology. Key points to emerge from this analysis include the possibly higher vulnerability of dogs compared with other species. The terms “extended suicide” and “peticide” are discussed with the recommendation that the killing of pet animals be linguistically aligned with that of other killings. A focus on human–animal relationships reveals commonly unexplored intersections across criminology, mental health, and domestic violence and suggests the potential for collaboration across these fields driven by multi-species awareness. This research adds to arguments for data on animal presence in scenarios of human violence to be collected so that responses to protect vulnerable animals, and humans, can be developed.