Suicidal Behavior in African-American Slaves

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Common Precipitant ◽  
Severe Punishment

Reports of suicides by African-American slaves are reviewed, and rates calculated from the available data. Severe punishment appeared to be the most common precipitant for suicide, and explanations for the possible variations in suicide rates by status are proposed.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 707-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Sher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
General Population ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Impact

Summary Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profound psychological and social effects. The psychological sequelae of the pandemic will probably persist for months and years to come. Studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress, anxiety, fear of contagion, depression and insomnia in the general population and among healthcare professionals. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and people who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas. Stress-related psychiatric conditions including mood and substance use disorders are associated with suicidal behavior. COVID-19 survivors may also be at elevated suicide risk. The COVID-19 crisis may increase suicide rates during and after the pandemic. Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis including suicidal behavior are likely to be present for a long time and peak later than the actual pandemic. To reduce suicides during the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative to decrease stress, anxiety, fears and loneliness in the general population. There should be traditional and social media campaigns to promote mental health and reduce distress. Active outreach is necessary, especially for people with a history of psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 survivors and older adults. Research studies are needed of how mental health consequences can be mitigated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Whom is Suicide Accepted: The Dependency Effect

2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Sorjonen
Keyword(s):  
Marital Status ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Suicide Case ◽  
Actual Suicide ◽  
Case Stories

Research has found that people accept some suicides more than others. The present study examined whether attitudes toward a person's suicide are affected by the suicide's gender or marital status, and whether the suicide is a parent or childless. Respondents read one of eight fictitious suicide case stories, in which the above-mentioned variables were manipulated, and then completed the Suicide Attitudes and Attribution Scale (SAAS). It was found that female and male respondents differed in their attitudes toward a person's suicidal behavior to some degree. A parent's suicide was viewed more negatively than a suicide by a childless person. A tendency for respondents to express more respect for a suicide of their own gender was also detected. It is discussed whether differences in acceptance of suicide can be associated with actual suicide rates.

Media Guidelines on the Reporting of Suicide

Crisis ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Pirkis ◽  
R. Warwick Blood ◽  
Annette Beautrais ◽  
Philip Burgess ◽  
Jaelea Skehan
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Dissemination Strategy ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Werther Effect ◽  
The Media ◽  
Similar Content ◽  
Media Professionals ◽  
Roll Out

There is strong evidence for the existence of the Werther effect, or the phenomenon of an observer copying suicidal behavior he or she has seen modelled in the media. As a consequence, a number of countries have developed guidelines that promote responsible reporting of suicide. Using nine such guidelines as examples, this paper demonstrates that they tend to have similar content (emphasizing, for example, that suicide should not be glamorized or sensationalized and that explicit descriptions should be avoided, and stressing the importance of providing information about help services), but differ in the way in which they have been developed (e.g., the extent to which media professionals have been involved) and implemented (e.g., whether their “roll-out” has involved a considered dissemination strategy). The paper also reviews the evidence from evaluations of media guidelines, and concludes that it is too limited to determine whether the guidelines have had an impact on the behavior of media professionals or on completed and attempted suicide rates. It makes recommendations for further evaluative work, and suggests that the lessons from well-designed evaluations should be shared.

Person Factors Associated With Suicidal Behavior Among African American Women and Men.

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine J. Kaslow ◽  
Ann Webb Price ◽  
Sarah Wyckoff ◽  
Marnette Bender Grall ◽  
Alissa Sherry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
American Women ◽  
Factors Associated

Suicide and Aging II: The Psychobiological Interface

1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeates Conwell ◽  
Wilfrid N. Raby ◽  
Eric D. Caine
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Functional Integrity ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Serotonin System ◽  
Neuroendocrine Systems

There is an accumulating body of research suggesting that suicidal behavior may be associated with abnormalities of the central serotonin system. Other monoaminergic, peptidergic, and neuroendocrine systems have been implicated as well. A review of studies that examine neurobiological variables in postmortem tissue of suicide victims and controls reveals that investigators in most instances have viewed age as a confound to be controlled rather than considering it as a variable of interest. However, the close associations between aging and increased suicide rates, and the knowledge that the functional integrity of many of these same systems changes with normal and abnormal aging processes, raise the possibility that biological aging contributes to suicide risk, and that the underlying neurobiology of suicide in the elderly differs from that of younger people. The few available studies that did examine the association of age with neurobiological measures indicate directions for future research into the role that aging may play in determining the biological bases of suicide risk.

Factors that mediate and moderate the link between partner abuse and suicidal behavior in African American women.

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine J. Kaslow ◽  
Martie P. Thompson ◽  
Lindi A. Meadows ◽  
Diana Jacobs ◽  
Susan Chance ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
American Women
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document