Proportion Of Suicide Attempts Research Articles

Correlation between negative life events and suicide attempts among Yi adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Liangshan Prefecture

ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence of suicide attempts among adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, as well as the correlation between negative life events, sleep, exercise, drug therapy and suicide attempts.MethodsA total of 180 Yi adolescents aged 11–19 years with HIV/AIDS in a county of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, were investigated by census. The main outcome indicators included the incidence of suicide attempts and whether negative life events, sleep, exercise, drug therapy and other factors were related to suicide attempts.ResultsWe found that the incidence rate of suicide attempts among Yi adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Liangshan Prefecture was 13.9%. Negative life events were a risk factor for suicide attempts (OR = 1.047, p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.027–1.067). In the factors of negative life events, adaptation was a risk factor for suicide attempts (OR = 1.203, p = 0.026, 95% CI 1.022–1.416), and academic pressure showed a tendency to be a risk factor for suicide attempts (OR = 1.149, p = 0.077, 95% CI 0.985–1.339). However, the punishment factor, interpersonal stress factor and loss factor had no significant correlation with suicide attempts. There was no significant correlation between sleep, exercise, drug therapy and suicide attempts.ConclusionThe proportion of suicide attempts among Yi adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Liangshan Prefecture is high and should be considered. Negative life events are independent risk factors for suicide attempts, and it is necessary to strengthen the screening and early intervention for suicide attempts in HIV/AIDS adolescents with definite negative life events.

Vulnerable individuals and changes in suicidal behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major threat to mental health and is associated with an increased risk of suicide. An understanding of suicidal behaviours during the pandemic is necessary for establishing policies to prevent suicides in such social conditions. We aimed to investigate vulnerable individuals and the characteristics of changes in suicidal behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with suicide attempts who visited the emergency department from February 2019 to January 2021. We analysed the demographic and clinical characteristics, risk factors and rescue factors of patients, and compared the findings between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. In total, 519 patients were included. During the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, 303 and 270 patients visited the emergency department after a suicide attempt, respectively. The proportion of suicide attempts by women (60.1% v. 69.3%, P = 0.035) and patients with a previous psychiatric illness (63.4% v. 72.9%, P = 0.006) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, patients' rescue scores during the pandemic were lower than those during the pre-pandemic period (12 (interquartile range: 11-13) v. 13 (interquartile range: 12-14), P < 0.001). Women and people with previous psychiatric illnesses were more vulnerable to suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suicide prevention policies, such as continuous monitoring and staying in touch with vulnerable individuals, are necessary to cope with suicide risk.

Factors Regarding Suicide Decline in Japan: A Longitudinal Study on Psychiatric Diagnosis of Serious Suicide Attempters.

The number of suicides in Japan decreased during the period from 2012 through 2019. Because data on factors associated with this decline are limited, we conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of psychiatric diagnoses of serious suicide attempters before 2012 and after 2019. Serious suicide attempters admitted to the critical care medicine (CCM) department of Nippon Medical School Hospital between 2006 and 2017 were included and classified as those before and after the suicide decline in 2012. Chi-square test and residual analysis were used to analyze changes in the proportion of suicide attempters among all patients admitted to CCM and to examine differences in the proportion of psychiatric diagnoses. The proportion of suicide attempters among CCM hospitalized patients decreased overall (χ2 (1) =18.29, p<.01). The proportion of psychiatric diagnoses changed significantly (χ2 (8) =62.21, p<0.001); specifically, it decreased for schizophrenia (residual: -2.28), depressive disorders (residual: -5.39), persistent mood disorders (residual: -3.58), and reaction to stress disorders (residual: -2.73). Depressive disorders decreased and had a large contribution ratio in both sexes. The decrease in the proportion of attempted suicides among patients admitted to CCM was consistent with the decline in suicides in Japan. Analysis by psychiatric diagnosis confirmed a significant decrease in the proportion of suicide attempts associated with depressive disorders, schizophrenia, and reaction to stress disorders, which were the most common disorders associated with attempted suicide. Depressive disorders made the greatest contribution to the reduction in suicide attempts.

Pain avoidance and functional connectivity between insula and amygdala identifies suicidal attempters in patients with major depressive disorder using machine learning.

Pain avoidance can effectively classify suicide attempters from non-attempters among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural circuits underlying pain processing in suicide attempters have not been described comprehensively. In Study 1, we recruited MDD patients with a history of suicide attempts (MDD-SA), and those without (MDD-NSA) to examine the patterns of psychological pain using the latent profile analysis. Further, in Study 2, participants including the MDD-SA, MDD-NSA, and healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used machine learning that included features of gray matter volume (GMV), the functional connectivity (FC) brain patterns of the region of interest, and behavioral data to identify suicide attempters. The results identified three latent classes of psychological pain in MDD patients: the low pain class (18.9%), the painful feeling class (37.2%), and the pain avoidance class (43.9%). Furthermore, the proportion of suicide attempters with high pain avoidance was the highest. The accuracy of multimodality classifiers (63%-92%) was significantly higher than that of brain-only classifiers (56%-85%) and behavior-only classifiers (64%-73%). Pain avoidance ranked first in the optimal feature set of the suicide attempt classification model. The crucial brain imaging features were FC between the left amygdala and right insula, right orbitofrontal and left thalamus, left anterior cingulate cortex and left insula, right orbitofrontal, amygdala, and the GMV of right thalamus. Additionally, the optimal feature set, including pain avoidance and crucial brain patterns of psychological pain neural circuits, was provided for the identification of suicide attempters.

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Introduction:suicide is one of the ten major causes of death in India. 90%of the persons who die from suicide satisfy the criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders. Most people have notably mood, substance related, anxiety, psychotic, and personality disorders, with co-morbidity being common. A considerable proportion of suicide attempts are the result of sudden ideation. Understanding impulsive suicide attempts is necessary for effective interventions.Objectives:To study socio-demographic profile, psychiatric morbidities and to assess the risk and impulsivity of suicidal attemptsMaterials & Methods:A cross sectional study was done for 1year among 65 suicide attempted patients. Socio demographic and clinical details were obtained using semi structured proforma. Psychiatric morbidity was assessed using Brief Psychiatric Rating scale, ICD10. Suicidal risk assessment was done by Becks scale for suicidal ideation. Attempter impulsivity was measured by the total score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.Results-Among 65 attempted suicide patients, majority belong to 18-25yr age group (38.46%) and were females (63.07%). 36.9% were diagnosed with adjustment disorder. History of previous suicidal attempt was present in 32.7%. Majority of individuals attempted suicide out of impulsivity (70.7%).Conclusion-The results suggested that a considerable proportion of suicide attempts were due to result of sudden inclinations and were made in relatively earlier stages of suicidal ideation. So, early identification of those at risk and appropriate interventions may be helpful.

Fast food consumption and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12–15 years from 32 countries

BackgroundWe examined the fast food consumption-suicide attempt relationship among 105,061 adolescents aged 12–15 years from 32 countries. MethodsThis study was based on cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), and included 4 low-income, 13 lower middle-income, 9 upper middle-income, and 6 high-income countries. Data on past 7-day fast food consumption and 12-month suicide attempts were collected. The association between fast food consumption and suicide attempts was investigated with multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis while adjusting for sex, age, food insecurity (proxy of socioeconomic status), alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, obesity, carbonated soft drink consumption, and fruit and vegetable consumption. ResultsOverall, the prevalence of fast food consumption was high (53.5%) and the proportion of suicide attempts was higher among consumers of fast food compared to non-consumers (11.8% vs. 8.3%). Of the 32 countries included in the study, a positive association between fast food consumption and suicide attempts was found in 26 countries although this was not statistically significant in all countries. The pooled OR (95% CI) based on a meta-analysis was 1.31 (1.17–1.46). LimitationsSince this was a cross-sectional study, it is not possible to draw any conclusions about causality or temporality in the associations assessed. ConclusionsFast food consumption is positively associated with suicide attempts in adolescents. Further research of longitudinal design is needed to confirm/refute our findings and explore the potential underlying mechanisms.

Prevalence, distribution, and associated factors of suicide attempts in young adolescents: School-based data from 40 low-income and middle-income countries.

Suicide attempts are the most important known predictor of death by suicide. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence, distribution, and associated factors of suicide attempts among young adolescents in 40 low-income and middle-income countries. We used data from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (2009–2013) and a nationally representative study in China (2010), which are school-based surveys of students primarily aged 12–18 years that assess health behaviors using an anonymous, standardized, self-reported questionnaire. We calculated the prevalence of suicide attempts in young adolescents from 40 low-income and middle-income countries using the surveys. Multilevel logistic models were used to estimate the associations between suicide attempts and potential risk factors, adjusting for gender, age, school and survey year. Results show that the mean 12-month prevalence of suicide attempts was 17.2%, ranging from 6.7% in Malaysia to 61.2% in Samoa. The overall prevalence of suicide attempts was higher for girls than for boys (18.2% vs 16.2%, P<0.05). Among the suicide attempts, the proportion of suicide attempts with a plan was higher for girls than for boys (62.7% vs 53.2%, P<0.05). Both the prevalence of suicide attempts and the proportion of suicide attempts with a plan increased with age. Factors associated with suicide attempts included poor socioeconomic status, history of bullying, loneliness and anxiety, tobacco and alcohol use, and weak family and social relationships. In conclusion, suicide attempts are frequent among young adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries. Girls and older adolescents tend to make suicide attempts with a plan. The data demonstrate the need to strengthen suicide intervention and prevention programs for young adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries.

Firearm legislation, gun violence, and mortality in children and young adults: A retrospective cohort study of 27,566 children in the USA

BackgroundFirearm violence results in the death of thousands of children in the US annually. The effects of firearm legislation on gun violence are published but widely contested. Materials and MethodsThe Kid's Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2009 were queried to capture hospitalizations of children diagnosed with a firearm-related injury. Cases were categorized into five levels of firearm legislation strictness by Brady State Scorecard. Trends of injuries were explored in terms of legislative strength, age, and race. Results27,566 children analyzed in the study. Most were adolescents aged 15–19 (87.3%), male (89.7%), and black (53.7%). The proportion of accidental injuries increased relative to state law leniency (R2 = 0.90), with highest percentage in lenient states (33.2%) compared to strict (16.7%). The proportion of suicide attempts were higher in states with lenient laws (4.4%) compared to strict (1.3%). Accidents were inversely related to age (59.3% in ages 0–4 compared to 22.0% in adolescents), while assaults were positively related to age (31.6% in ages 0–4 compared to 66.6% in adolescents). Whites were most likely to present with accidental injuries (44.6%), and Blacks and Hispanics with assaults (68.2% and 75.6%). Race (p = 0.009), age (p < 0.001), and firearm injury type (p = 0.001) were associated with mortality; Hispanics (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03–1.78), children age 5–9 (2.03, 1.30–3.17) and suicide attempts (15.6, 11.6–20.9) had higher odds of in-hospital mortality. ConclusionsFirearm-related injuries types in hospitalized children are associated with age, race, and state level legislation. Accidents are most prevalent in young children, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws, while suicide attempts are more common in adolescents, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws. Suicide attempts are also associated with the greatest odds of in-hospital mortality. To address firearm violence, consideration should be given to legislation that promote safe gun storage behaviors and restrict firearm accessibility to children.

Characteristics and mental disorder diagnosis of suicide attempters

Objective To understand the behavioral characteristics, strength on suicide ideation and mental disorder diagnosis among suicide attempers, so as to provide consultation for crisis intervention of suicide. Methods 232 suicide attempters from emergency of 5 general hospital in south-west of Shandong province were enrolled. They were assessed using questionnaires on attempted suicide behaviors and scale on the strength of suicide ideation, and were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders axis I for patient (SCID/I-P). Results (1) In the total of 232 cases, female was more than male with the gender ratio of 2.87 (female vs male). The highest proportion rate (56.9%) existed between 16 years old to 35 years old. Oral application pesticide was the most commom suicide pattern (83.2%), 91.4% of the suicide attempt occurred in the their homes. The top three reasons leading to suicide were family contrary (61.2%), depressive mood (15.1%) and fail in love (9.5%). (2) In all cases, 83.6% did not think if they were found, 84.1% did not adopted any precaution measures, over 60.0% did not tell anyone their attempted plans, and 90% had no dying structions and /or dying testaments before their attempted behaviors. At the moment of attemp behaviors, 62.9% did not contact with someone. The 60.0% of all the cases had wanted strongly to die, otherwise 7.3% had wanted to manipulate others. (3) The diagnosis rate of mental disorder on DSM-IV was 45.3%, in which the mood disorder was most. Conclusion There are no changes on the behavioral characteristics among the suicide attempters in the south-west rural area of Shandong province.Their strength of suicide ideation are moderate, and a certain proportion of suicide attempters may be impulsive suicide attempters. There is more relationship between mental disorder and suicide attempt. Key words: Suicide attempt; Clinical characteristics; Mental disorder diagnosis

Differences between Impulsive and Non-Impulsive Suicide Attempts among Individuals Treated in Emergency Rooms of South Korea.

ObjectiveA considerable proportion of suicide attempts are the result of sudden desires. Understanding such impulsive suicide attempts is necessary for effective interventions. We evaluated the impulsivity of suicide attempters treated in emergency rooms. The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics of impulsive suicide attempts by comparing these individuals to those who attempted to commit suicide in a non-impulsive manner.MethodsThis study analyzed suicide attempters who visited the emergency departments of seven selected university hospitals. A total of 269 medical records in which impulsivity of suicide attempt were confirmed were subject to be analyzed. The impulsivity of the suicide attempt was examined using a summative score of items 6 and 15 on the Suicide Intent Scale.ResultsA total of 48.0% of the participants were impelled by sudden inclinations to attempt suicide. Impulsive attempters were younger, unmarried and less physical illness than non-impulsive attempters, whereas no significant differences were found on psychiatric history and previous suicide history. Impulsive suicide attempters had suicide ideations that were not as severe (χ2=55.33, p<0.001) or intense (t=-8.38, p<0.001) as their counterparts'. Furthermore, medical results of impulsive suicide attempts were better than non-impulsive suicide attempts (t=-3.77, p<0.001).ConclusionThe results suggested that a considerable proportion of suicide attempts were the result of sudden inclinations. Impulsive attempts were made in relatively earlier stages of suicide ideation; consequently, they have less intent than non-impulsive attempts.

Measurement of total serum cholesterol in the evaluation of suicidal risk

Many studies have demonstrated an association between suicidal behavior and low levels of total serum cholesterol. To our knowledge, this association has mainly been reported in men. This case-control study was undertaken to assess the association between serum cholesterol level and suicide attempts in both genders. A total of 3207 subjects was included, divided into three groups: 510 patients with a history of suicidal attempts, 275 patients with no history of suicidal attempts, and 2422 controls. Mean and quartile total cholesterol levels were compared between the three groups according to gender. ROC curves were drawn to determine the biologically relevant threshold. After adjustment for age, cholesterol level was significantly lower (p<0.01) in suicide attempters than in non-attempters and controls for both genders. Male non-suicide attempters had similar cholesterol levels to controls (p=0.7), but the levels in female non-attempters were significantly higher (p=0.004). The proportion of suicide attempters in the lowest cholesterol level quartile (51.3% of men, 40.1% of women) was significantly higher than that in the highest quartile (8.1% of men, 12.4% of women). For triglyceride level, no difference was found between the three groups, suggesting that this association was not due to malnutrition linked to depression. The effect of acute or chronic administration of medications on serum cholesterol levels was not controlled. Psychiatric history in surgical controls was not recorded. Total serum cholesterol levels measured at admission may be a useful biological marker of suicidal risk.

The Comparison of Characteristic and Clinical Features of Self-Inflicted Abdominal Stab Wound Patients in Japan: Simple Stab Wounds Versus Hara-kiri Wounds

The proportion of suicide attempts by infliction of abdominal stab wounds (ASWs) is higher in Japan than in other counties. There are few clinical reports on these wounds, especially hara-kiri wounds, which involve transversely cutting the abdomen. This study aimed to investigate Japanese patients with self-inflicted hara-kiri wounds and determine their characteristics and clinical features. We investigated 84 patients with self-inflicted ASWs who had been transferred to our hospital between April 1994 and March 2004. We recorded their characteristics and clinical features. They were then divided into two groups depending on their wound type, namely, simple stab wounds (SSWs) and hara-kiri wounds. The characteristics and clinical features of each group were then compared. SSWs were frequently observed in the periumbilical and epigastric regions, whereas most hara-kiri wounds were observed in the middle abdomen. The rate of organ injury was 58.7% (44 of 75) for SSWs and 66.7% (6 of 9) for hara-kiri wounds; no significant difference was observed in this regard. SSWs resulted in injury to various organs, whereas hara-kiri wounds typically caused small bowel, mesenterium, omentum, and major vascular injuries. Small bowel and major vascular injuries had a significantly high incidence in hara-kiri wounds. The mortality rate caused by hara-kiri wounds was significantly higher than that caused by SSWs (1.3% vs. 22.2%). The mortality rate caused by ASWs is relatively low. However, hara-kiri wounds might be a risk factor for death. Further, because hara-kiri wounds transversely cut the abdomen, they might be a risk factor for major vascular injury.

Regular Daily Smoking Among 14-Year-Old Adolescents Increases the Subsequent Risk for Suicide

To investigate the relationship between adolescent regular daily smoking and later suicides in a prospective longitudinal birth cohort setting. Data from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study (N = 10,934) were linked with national death certificates from Statistics Finland. The information on suicide attempts until the end of 2001 was gathered from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR). The information on adolescent regular daily smoking was gathered via a questionnaire in 1980 and 1981, when the subjects were age 14 years. Of all cohort males who smoked regularly at age 14 years, 2.6% committed suicide by age 34 years, while the corresponding proportion was 0.8% among experimental smokers and 0.4% among non-smokers (chi2 = 15.8, df = 2, p < .001). After adjusting for sociodemographic factors in adolescence and psychiatric morbidity, regular smokers were at a 4.05-fold hazard (95% CI = 1.18 to 13.93, p = .026) for committing suicide at a younger age. Corresponding associations were not found among females. The choice of suicide method was not associated with smoking habits in adolescence. Furthermore, the proportion of suicide attempts was significantly higher among regular daily smokers, among both boys (3.3% vs. 1.2%) and girls (4.2% vs. 1.2%), compared with other adolescents. At the epidemiologic level, adolescent regular smoking was found to be associated with increased risk for suicide among males before the age of 34 years. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of smoking on neurobiology of depression, self-damaging aggression, and impulsive behavior.

Behind impulsive suicide attempts: Indications from a community study

Aim A considerable proportion of suicide attempts are made on impulse. However, knowledge of characteristics of impulsive attempters is still limited. The present study investigated some of these characteristics and aimed to identify the pattern (if any) of suicidal ideation before an impulsive attempt. Methods Data from a randomized and stratified population of 5130 individuals from Brisbane, Australia, were analysed. Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were adopted to recruit subjects. Those reporting previous suicidal behaviour were sent a questionnaire by mail. Results One hundred and twelve subjects reported a suicide attempt. One quarter of these described a pattern consistent with an impulsive attempt. Most impulsive attempters experienced suicidal thoughts before their attempt. They were less likely to believe that their attempt would cause death, and less likely to experience depression. Impulsive attempters did not differ significantly from non-impulsive attempters in regards to age, gender, and motivations for the attempt. Surprisingly, no differences in mean scores of trait impulsivity between impulsive and non-impulsive attempters were found. In addition, the majority of suicide attempters (whether impulsive or not) experienced the suicidal process as fluctuating and not as developing along a continuum. Limitations The number of attempters who validly entered the study limited our ability to identify potential confounders. Due to the retrospective nature of the survey, the reliability of the information collected may have been affected by recall biases. In addition, as the surveys were administered by mail, it is possible that some questions may have been misinterpreted. Conclusions The presence of suicidal feelings prior to an attempt constitutes an opportunity for intervention also in impulsive attempters. However, the identification of impulsiveness requires more research efforts.

Association between the menses and suicide attempts: a replication study.

In our prior (first) study, suicide attempts were associated with the menses. The main hypothesis of this replication (second) study is that the proportion of suicide attempters during the menses is significantly higher than the expected probability in the general population. Using the same methodology and setting, this replication naturalistic study included 120 fertile female suicide attempters with regular menstrual cycles during a 1-year period in the emergency room of a general hospital in Madrid, Spain, serving a catchment area of 500,000 people. The significant increase in probability of attempting suicide during the menses for the first study was 1.61; for the second study, 1.72; and for both studies combined, 1.68 (95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.09). Thus, using the combined results, the probability of attempting suicide during the menses was 1.68 times higher than the overall probability of attempting suicide for any fertile women. In the catchment area, the population rate of fertile women arriving at the hospital after a suicide attempt was 166 per 100,000. The probability for women during the menses arriving at the hospital after a suicide attempt was significantly higher, 279 per 100,000 (1.68 x 166 per 100,000). The 95% confidence interval was 211 to 347 per 100,000. Despite inherent limitations, this naturalistic study replicates a small but significant increase of suicide attempts during the menses.

Youth suicide-related visits in an emergency department serving rural counties: Implications for means restriction

A large proportion of suicide attempts result in injuries requiring medical attention, but little is known about youth presenting to rural emergency departments (EDs) for suicide-related behavior. We conducted a chart review of youth receiving mental health (MH) evaluations during 1994 in an ED serving rural counties. Forty percent of the these visits were for suicide-related events. These youth were more likely to be older. female and white than youth receiving MH evaluations for reasons not related to suicide. No differences were found on recent substance use, non-suicidal aggression, or MH service contact when comparing suicidal to non-suicidal youth. Youth receiving MH evaluations were homogenous with respect to suicide risk factors. Chart reviews provided no evidence that means restriction education was provided. We discuss broader implications of these findings for the role of means restriction in EDs.

Youth suicide-related visits in an emergency department serving rural counties: Implications for means restriction

A large proportion of suicide attempts result in injuries requiring medical attention, but little is known about youth presenting to rural emergency departments (EDs) for suicide-related behavior. We conducted a chart review of youth receiving mental health (MH) evaluations during 1994 in an ED serving rural counties. Forty percent of the these visits were for suicide-related events. These youth were more likely to be older, female and white than youth receiving MH evaluations for reasons not related to suicide. No differences were found on recent substance use, non-suicidal aggression, or MH service contact when comparing suicidal to non-suicidal youth. Youth receiving MH evaluations were homogenous with respect to suicide risk factors. Chart reviews provided no evidence that means restriction education was provided. We discuss broader implications of these findings for the role of means restriction in EDs.

Suicide attempts and alcohol consumption in an emergency room sample.

The aim of this study was to obtain an epidemiologic measure of association between suicide attempts and alcohol consumption in eight emergency room (ER) hospitals. All patients were interviewed and breath tested for alcohol consumption. The data were analyzed using the case-control methodology. Cases were patients (N = 40; 21 male) admitted to ER because of a suicide attempt. The control group comprised patients (N = 372) admitted to ER because of accidents that are less frequently reported as alcohol related (i.e., workplace accidents, animal bites, and recreational accidents, except drowning). The proportion of suicide attempts under the effects of alcohol was significantly higher than that of the control group. The bivariate odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for self-report of alcohol consumption in the 6 hours prior to the suicide attempt were: abstainers (baseline); 0.001-100 g of alcohol = 2.01 (0.44, 7.85); > 100 g = 31.11 (10.13, 98.61). For habitual alcohol consumption; abstainers (baseline); 0.001-100 g of alcohol = 0.67 (0.25, 1.77); > 100 g = 1.10 (0.44, 2.75). For Alco-Sensor: < or = 9 mg of alcohol/100 ml of blood (baseline); 10.99 mg/100 ml = 8.21 (2.81, 23.73); > or = 100 mg/100 ml = 2.97 (0.42, 15.95). Multiple logistic models did not change these findings. Alcohol consumption prior to the suicide attempt is a more important risk factor than the habitual alcohol consumption pattern. New research should emphasize life events and psychiatric variables and find explanations for differences between the self-reported and the Alco-Sensor estimates.

Locus of control as an indicator of risk for suicidal behaviour among adolescents.

Using a sample of high school students, this pilot study investigated the relationship between locus of control and a range of suicidal behaviours, the proportion of high school students in an Australian sample who report having engaged in such behaviours and the proportion of suicide attempters who received medical attention following an attempt. Two hundred male and 205 female students aged between 13 and 19 years (mean = 15, SD = 1), attending one randomly chosen metropolitan state high school, completed a questionnaire that included demographic details, the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children and questions concerning suicide. The findings indicated that a substantial proportion of individuals in the sample have suicidal ideation. A smaller proportion have engaged in a range of more serious and overt self-destructive and suicidal behaviours. Further, a majority of attempters in the sample had not received medical attention following their attempt. There was also a clear association between locus of control and suicidal behaviour, with the individuals who had engaged in suicidal behaviours characterized by a more external locus of control orientation. This study adds further weight of evidence to the suggestion that the locus of control construct is useful in identifying adolescents at risk of engaging in suicidal behaviour.

Attempted Suicide and Creative Promise

This article begins by discussing the creative problems of four individuals from four different countries and the problems and pressures which led to their suicide attempts. A proportion of suicide attempts are disguised as accidents and are not recorded in official reports, which results in under-reporting of suicide attempts. In the last twenty years the suicide rate among youths 15–24 years has risen three hundred percent. Suicide is second only to automobile accidents as the leading cause of death of this age group. The creatively gifted are particularly vulnerable to the boredom and depression which accompanies isolation during the adolescent years and earlier. This combined with parents and peers' expectations and the inability to find meaningful career opportunities poses numerous problems for the creatively gifted and often result in the drastic decision that life has no more to offer. It is our contention that suicide attempts among the creatively gifted is the “tip of the iceberg”. We also express our concern for the creatively gifted who have not committed the final telo de se but have first of all stopped being creative and then have stopped living. We suggest that this is a form of suicide.