Medically Serious Suicide Attempts in a Jail With a Suicide Prevention Program

A suicide prevention program was implemented at the Galveston County Jail (Texas) in 1986, reducing to the number of suicides to only 1 from that time to the present. 13 medically serious suicide attempts occurring between 1989 & July 1994 were studied. The cases were examined for demographic data, psychiatric history, circumstances surrounding the act, & results of psychiatric evaluations performed after the act. The findings were compared to studies of suicides & near-suicides. This study has provided information which should make the suicide prevention program even more effective as well as providing useful information for programs in other jails. (28 refs.)