All suicides by Hispanics (n = 434) and non-Hispanic Whites (n = 3,370) in Colorado from 2004 to 2008 using the Violent Death Reporting System were examined. Hispanic victims were significantly younger. Adjusting for age and gender, Hispanic victims were less likely to have reported depressed mood [odds ratio (OR) 0.78; 95% confidence interval…

The reliability, validity, and utility of the Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), and Reasons for Attempting Suicide Questionnaire (RASQ) with correctional mental health populations was evaluated. Evidence was found indicating good to excellent reliability for all…

Findings from the first national survey on juvenile suicide in confinement are provided, and include the extent and distribution of juvenile suicides, as well as descriptive data on demographic characteristics of each victim, incident, and juvenile facility which sustained the suicide. Among the significant findings were that suicides were evenly…

The "Viennese Instrument for Suicidality in Correctional Institutions" (VISCI) presented here is based on the results of a large case-control study and on research on literature examining suicide prevention in general and in the prison population in particular. The aim of this study was to validate the properties of the VISCI to differentiate…

Self-harming behavior during incarceration has been a topic of increasing attention in recent years. Some authors attribute these episodes to the high level of stress that imprisonment generates coupled with a low quality of coping strategies employed by inmates. The main aim of this study was to identify, by means of coping typologies, prisoners…

We wished to examine determinants of suicidal behavior in prisoners. 903 male prisoners had a psychiatric interview which included various psychometric tests. Suicide attempters were compared with prisoners who had never attempted suicide. Significantly more of the attempters had a history of psychiatric disorder, substance abuse, a family history…

Suicide rates in prisons are high. Our aim was to investigate the contribution of imitative suicide to the prison suicide rate. We used Knox tests for space-time clustering in a case register of natural and self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales and model simulations to estimate the effect size. We found significant space-time…

Suicide prevention training for the prison service in England and Wales has been criticized. STORM is a package emphasizing the practice and review of interactions with suicidal persons and was evaluated in a pilot study for use in prisons. Trainees completed questionnaires immediately before and after training and at 6 to 8 months follow-up.…

Emotional experiences immediately prior to (emotional antecedents) and following (emotional consequences) deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts in female inmates (N = 63) were examined. Anger was the antecedent emotion reported by the largest proportion of individuals who had engaged in deliberate self-harm (45.16%), suicide attempts (40.9%),…

Examined suicides in Bridgewater (Massachusetts) State Hospital for persons formerly labeled "criminally insane." Found variation in suicide rate by historical period. Post-1968 rate of 232 per 100,000 was comparable to data reported in studies of psychiatric suicides, suggesting that forensic hospital populations have suicide rates…

Reanalyzed data from 1983 prospective study of suicide in cohort of 4,800 psychiatric inpatients using logistic regression. Results were same as in previous study: too few of the subsequent suicides were identified and there were too many false positives to make procedure useful. Additional artificial logistic regression analyses helped but fell…

Used a national probability sample to compare the suicide rate among adolescents in adult jails, juvenile detention facilities, and the general population. Results showed the rate for adolescents in adult jails was more than 3.5 times larger than in the general population, while suicides in juvenile facilities were lower. (JAC)

Analyzed Suicide Intent Scale using data from 98 psychiatric inpatients who had attempted suicide. Analysis resulted in two-factor solution: Lethal Intent factor contained items pertaining to subjective level of lethal intent; Planning factor contained items related to objective planning for attempt. Findings suggest that Suicide Intent Scale can…

Epidemiologically based study investigated 14 suicides among current patients of London psychiatric unit. Statistical analysis showed it to be discrete cluster of suicides, rather than chance occurrence. Found no evidence of direct linkage or "contagion" between suicides. Thirteen patients suffered from severe, chronic mental illness.…

Explored environmental factors related to suicide in 463 long-term care facilities. Staff turnover, size, auspices, and per diem cost related to suicidal behavior and deaths from suicide. More suicides occurred in larger facilities and facilities with higher staff turnover. Religious or "other" facilities experienced more suicidal deaths than…