Suicidal Ideation as an Articulation of Intent: A Focus for Suicide Prevention?

Suicidal ideation is the most common of all suicidal behavior, but only a minority of ideators ever engages in overt self-harm. If ideation is to prove useful in the assessment of suicide intent and risk, factors creating continuity between suicidal ideation and action need to be carefully examined. The relationship between ideation and intent may resolve this dilemma, as intent is assessed by examining thoughts of self-harm in the distressed person, yet there is debate as to whether ideation must involve intent. Applying ideation as a risk factor is complicated by the failure to agree upon its definition within the nomenclature of suicidology (Leenaars et al., 1997; Shneidman, 1995). Suicide ideators are an important group because most suicides and parasuicides have engaged in suicidal thoughts prior to their acts (Shneidman, 1996). Identification of those ideators most likely to attempt or commit suicide is therefore a clinical priority (Bagley, 1975).     

A snapshot of social activities programs in residential aged care facilities in Victoria: A brief report

Objectives

To capture current opportunities for social participation for older people living in residential aged care in Victoria, Australia.

Methods

A postal survey of all 766 Victorian residential aged care facilities. Respondents were asked to outline the nature of social participation opportunities available to residents, any potential barriers to inclusion and organisational commitments such as funding allocations and staff fractions.

Results

Surveys were returned by 153 facilities, representing a response rate of 20%. All facilities had a dedicated social program, although just over half (57%; 87 of 153) offered the social program over the weekend, usually on a Saturday morning only (90%). Barriers to older people's opportunities for social participation included their ineligibility to continue attending external community programs once entering residential aged care (86%), their illness (71%), carer availability (50%) and lack of funding (42%). Funding for almost all programs (128 of 153; 84%) was described as internal and ad hoc, and staff allocations for the program were almost entirely fractional. Only 12 (8%) facilities reported that they had a dedicated full-time coordinator for the social participation program.

Conclusions

Social participation programs are available in Victorian residential aged care facilities. However, limited funding and staff allocations reduce the opportunities for older people to engage in meaningful social participation with others.     

From pixel to image analysis

Over the past 50 years, computer technology has evolved enormously. This has made it possible to carry out radiography in a completely new way, allowing to process X-ray images in an advanced manner and to extract the information from the image data. This article gives an overview of some of the most important developments in dental radiology. These include capturing the images, analysing and interpreting the image information and using the images for 3D reconstruction.