Archives of Suicide Research

Mork, Erlend; Mehlum, Lars; Barrett, Elizabeth A.; Agartz, Ingrid; Harkavy-Friedman, Jill M.; Lorentzen, Steinar; Melle, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A.; Walby, Fredrik A.

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667328pmid: 22551042

This study describes the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and gender profile of self-harm in a cross-sectional sample of 388 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. All patients were interviewed and assessed with respect to lifetime self-harm and relevant clinical variables. An overall of 49% of the patients reported self-harm which was associated with female gender, having had a depressive episode, younger age at psychosis onset, alcohol abuse or dependence, current suicidality, awareness of illness, and low adherence to prescribed medication. Higher awareness of having a mental disorder was associated with self-harm in men only, while emotional dysregulation was associated with self-harm in women only. We conclude that while self-harm in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders is highly prevalent in both genders, risk factors in men and women differ in several important ways.

Anderson, Nicholas L.; Crowther, Janis H.

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667329pmid: 22551043

This research sought to identify factors that may facilitate our understanding of the individual characteristics associated with continuing to engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) versus stopping the behavior. Participants were 214 undergraduates who currently engaged in NSSI, had a past history of, or never engaged in NSSI. Individuals with a current or past history of NSSI reported significantly more intense emotional experiences, more difficulty identifying their feelings, less access to emotion regulation skills, and significantly greater avoidance than individuals who never engaged in NSSI; additionally, individuals with a past NSSI history reported significantly greater acceptance of their emotional responses and significantly greater impulse control than individuals currently engaging in NSSI. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

McPhedran, Samara; Baker, Jeanine

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667330pmid: 22551044

Given the finite resources allocated to suicide prevention, it is necessary to direct resources into interventions that are most likely to have an impact. This article tests for possible impacts on youth suicides of a cost-intensive Australian policy change (increased firearms restriction) that limited access to a means of suicide. Suicide rates by different age groups and methods were examined for structural breaks, using Zivot-Andrews and Quandt tests. No breakpoint was found in firearm suicide among Australian youth around the time of the 1996 legislative changes. Method restriction in the form of firearms legislation could not be tied to a corresponding impact on youth suicide.

Rotolone, Cassandra; Martin, Graham

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667333pmid: 22551045

Self-injury represents a common yet perplexing set of behaviors, considered difficult to treat. The current study aimed to identify social and personal resources that may aid in cessation of self-injury. A community sample of 312 participants completed an online questionnaire. In line with Brown and Williams (2007), we compared all self-injurers (current and past) (106, 34%) with those who had never self-injured (206, 66%), and then current (38, 12.2%) with past self-injurers (68, 21.8%). Overall, self-injurers reported significantly lower levels of perceived social support, social connectedness, resilience, self-esteem, and life satisfaction compared to those with no such history. Further analysis indicated that family support, self-esteem, resilience, and satisfaction with life were significantly better for past compared to current self-injurers (at the p < 0.01 level). Logistic regression suggested that self-injurers could be distinguished from non self-injurers on Self-esteem and Social Connectedness. A further logistic regression suggested that past self-injurers could be distinguished from current self-injurers by their level of Resilience. The research has important preventive and clinical implications.

Wong, Shane Shucheng; Sugimoto-Matsuda, Jeanelle J.; Chang, Janice Y.; Hishinuma, Earl S.

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667334pmid: 22551046

This study compared self-reported risk factors for suicide among American high school students in the last decade. Data from the 1999–2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys was analyzed by 8 self-reported ethnicity groups across 6 suicide-related items: depression, suicide ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempts, and suicide attempts requiring medical attention). Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adolescents had the higher prevalence of risk factors for suicide. Multiracial adolescents were also at high risk for suicide-related behaviors, with a risk comparable to American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents. Overall, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, multiracial, and American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents reported a significantly higher risk for suicide-related behaviors compared to their Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White peers. The ethnic disparities in risk factors for suicide dictate a need to understand the vulnerability of the Pacific Islander, American Indian, and growing multiracial adolescent populations, in an effort to develop and implement suicide prevention strategies.

Loh, Cheryl; Tai, Bee-Choo; Ng, Wai-Yee; Chia, Audrey; Chia, Boon-Hock

doi: 10.1080/13811118.2012.667335pmid: 22551047

The objective of this study was to understand the features of young suicide in order to contribute to suicide prevention efforts. In this article, the demographic, clinical, and suicide-related features of all cases of young suicide (aged 10–24 years) in Singapore for the years 2000–2004 are described. We also compared those who sought mental health services to those who did not. Overall, the suicide rate was 5.7 per 100, 000, with gender ratio of 1:1 and higher rates among ethnic Indians. Psychosocial stressors and suicide by jumping from height were common. Mental health service use was associated with unemployment, previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, more use of lethal methods, lack of identifiable stressor, and less suicide notes. Suicide prevention efforts should promote awareness of suicide risks and access to mental health services.