Characteristics of drowning deaths in an inner city river

A study was undertaken of all drowning deaths that occurred over a 30-year period from 1988 to 2017 in the urban section of the River Torrens, Adelaide, South Australia, an augmented waterway that runs through the central business district. Autopsy records from Forensic Science South Australia (FSSA) were reviewed. There were 34 drownings (0–5 cases/yr) with 28 males and 6 females (M;F = 4.6:1), with an age range for males of 18-76yrs (mean 42.0; SD 18.0) and for females of 20-84yrs (mean 69.3; SD 24.5). There were 15 (44%) accidents, 11 (32%) suicides, 1 (3%) homicide and 7 (21%) undetermined. Of the 22 cases during or after 1994 with complete toxicology reports, 10 (45%) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of greater than 0.05% (g/100 mL) with an illicit substance detected in 4 (18%) cases: (MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), methylamphetamine and THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) acid). The presence of various therapeutic drugs was also detected in 10 cases (45%) including temazepam, fluoxetine, diazepam, olanzapine, amitriptyline, carbamazepine, codeine, citalopram and valproate. Although the numbers of cases were not high, the urban portion of the River Torrens had a much higher number of drowning events per kilometre compared to other inland waterways in South Australia such as the Murray River. This is most likely due to the vulnerability that exists for intoxicated individuals in the city from falls into the water and to the availability of the river as a means of suicide to members of the adjacent urban population.     

Can Labor Market Policies Reduce Deaths of Despair?

Do minimum wages and the earned income tax credit (EITC) mitigate rising “deaths of despair?” We leverage state variation in these policies over time to estimate event study and difference-in-differences models of deaths due to drug overdose, suicide, and alcohol-related causes. Our causal models find no significant effects on drug or alcohol-related mortality, but do find significant reductions in non-drug suicides. A 10 percent minimum wage increase reduces non-drug suicides among low-educated adults by 2.7 percent, and the comparable EITC figure is 3.0 percent. Placebo tests and event-study models support our causal research design. Increasing both policies by 10 percent would likely prevent a combined total of more than 700 suicides each year.     

Identifying patients at risk for,and treatment of major psychiatric complications of cancer

A critically important aspect of supportive care in cancer is the prompt recognition and effective treatment of psychiatric complications. Psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and delirium occur in a signifcant percentage of cancer patients, particularly as disease advances and as cancer treatments become more aggressive. This paper reviews factors that can be utilized to identify patients who are at increased risk for developing psychiatric complications, such as those with advanced disease, certain cancer treatments, uncontrolled physical symptoms, functional limitations, lack of social support, and past history of psychiatric disorder. Methods of diagnostic assessment and strategies for managing depression, anxiety, delirium and suicidal ideation are also reviewed.Presented as an invited lecture at the 6th International Symposium: Supportive Care in Cancer, New Orleans, La., USA, 2–5 March 1994     

广州市大学生尝试自杀现况及其影响因素分析

目的了解广州市大学生尝试自杀现状及其影响因素，为高校健康教育提供理论依据。方法采用整群随机抽样方法，用自编调查表对大学生进行问卷调查，在此基础上结合专题小组讨论的定性研究方法进行分析。结果大学生近1a内尝试自杀报告率为6．0％，不同性别、学校、专业的学生尝试自杀报告率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；城镇学生尝试自杀报告率为6．6％，高于农村学生的4．2％（x^2=4．71，P=0．032）。对自杀行为的态度、朋友和家人有过自杀行为、消极应对、负性生活事件等是尝试自杀的危险因素，获得社会支持是尝试自杀的保护因素。定性访谈发现，学校几乎没有开展过自杀行为的健康教育活动，绝大部分学生对自杀行为持中立态度。结论加强健康教育、消除危险因素、提高保护因素可以最大限度地预防自杀.     

首次自杀未遂者和重复自杀未遂者的对照研究

目的探讨首次自杀未遂者和重复自杀未遂者的区别.方法检查126名因自杀未遂而入院的患者,分为首次自杀未遂组和重复自杀未遂组,获得有关的临床资料并进行自杀意图及自杀企图冲动性和致死性的测定,将有关项目作对比分析.结果有51(40.5%)名重复自杀未遂者,与首次自杀未遂者比较,重复自杀未遂者已婚居多、文化程度较低、缺乏固定的经济收入、有较多的既往精神科治疗史、常饮酒、企图自杀前与他人交流少,自杀意图较低,冲动性较高(P均＜0.05).结论对伴有某些危险因素的自杀未遂者应积极进行医学干预,以期减少自杀行为的再次发生.     

Clinical predictors of suicidal acts after major depression in bipolar disorder: a prospective study

Objective:  This study determined the clinical predictors of suicidal behavior during a 2-year follow-up of patients with bipolar disorder presenting with a major depressive episode (MDE).
Method:  Sixty four patients with DSM-III-R bipolar disorder were assessed at presentation for treatment of an MDE. Correlates of past suicidal behavior were determined by comparing patients with and without a history of suicide attempts using a t -test, Wilcoxon test or chi-squared test of independence on individual explanatory variables. Putative predictors of attempts during the follow-up period were tested separately using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
Results:  Twelve of 64 patients had at least one suicide attempt in the follow-up period, five of them attempted in the first 2 months and seven around or shortly after the 1-year follow-up visit. All attempters had a history of past suicide attempts. Most predictors of future suicidal behavior were correlates of past suicidal behavior. Family history of suicide acts and comorbid borderline personality disorder predicted early attempts, while younger age, high hostility scores, number of past attempts, subjective pessimism as reflected in depression and suicidal ideation, and few reported reasons for living predicted suicidal acts during the whole period.
Conclusion:  In this data set of bipolar patients we noted an intriguing picture of two clusters of suicide attempts. Hostility was the strongest risk factor. These findings may have implications in both the identification of at-risk patients and the timing of clinical interventions including aggressive pharmacotherapeutic prophylaxis to prevent relapse or recurrence of depressive symptomatology.     

Trends of youth suicide in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s – gender differences and implications for prevention

Youth suicide constitutes a considerable public health problem in many European countries. Suicide mortality in adolescents and young adults has increased during the 1980s and 1990s in several European countries and predominantly in young males. This paper summarises the international discussion on potential reasons for these trends, including changes in ascertainment practices, in the prevalence of psychopathology (mainly depression and substance abuse), in psychosocial and socio-economic conditions and in the methods chosen for suicidal behaviour. Potential reasons for the gender differences in trends are scrutinised.     

Gender-specific symptoms of depression and anger attacks

Depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening mental illness, which does not only lead to personal suffering but also impairs social functioning and has a significant socioeconomic effect. Epidemiological studies have found a life-time prevalence of up to 17% in the general population and death due to suicides of up to 15%. As women have a two-fold higher prevalence for depressive disorder, it is noteworthy that suicide rates are consistently higher for men. Previous studies have suggested that mainly men suffer from a specific irritable depressive syndrome, which is characterized by lowered impulse control, symptomatic substance abuse, an increased readiness to take risks, and anger attacks, which present as sudden spells of inappropriate anger with vegetative hyperarousal. This article reviews gender-specific aspects of depressive disorder focussing on anger attacks and their clinical management.