Resource Tag: SWITZERLAND

The authors compared the characteristics of youth (aged 15 to 20 years) who reported having quit smoking, with those of both “regular” smokers & nonsmokers. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to a national representative sample of 9268 subjects. Former smokers differed from nonsmokers for a number of variables, including suicide attempt. This & further findings are […]

For commentary on this article, please see SIEC #2004-1147

This article briefly reports that studies of the effects of the detoxification of domestic gas in 6 nations showed that the over-all suicide rate declined if the use of domestic gas for suicide was common. (7 refs)

This report examines: 1) the magnitude of co-occurrence of threshold & substhreshold-level depression & anxiety in the community, & 2) the relationship between comorbidity & the diagnostic level of depression & anxiety & their clinical correlates. Comorbidity at both the threshold & subthreshold diagnostic levels was associated with symptom severity, disability & treatment, whereas the […]

For the original article by B Elger and T Harding, please see SIEC #2004-0969

The aim of this study was to examine associations between Axes I & II comorbidity & suicidality in a large sample of women currently suffering from an eating disorder (ED). In a sample of 288 women, past suicide attempts were reported by 26%. Subjects with a purging type ED more frequently had a history of […]

This study investigated the usefulness of an action theoretical model of suicide in interviewing suicide attempters. 18 interviews were video-recorded & transcribed. Scores of the patients’ ratings of helping alliance experienced in the interview were positively associated with the therapists’ sensitivity towards emotionally relevant life-career issues. Furthermore, relationship satisfaction was related to a narrative interviewing […]

This study examined which factors of psychopathology are linked with the referral of bulimia nervosa (BN) patients to inpatient treatment while controlling for history of suicide attempts & history of underweight. Axes II comorbidity, especially Cluster B disorders & to a lesser degree depressive/negative personality disorders, was associated with a history of inpatient treatment. History […]

A total of 293 findings from 42 studies on the impact of publicized suicide stories in the media on the incidence of suicide in the real world were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Studies measuring the effect of either an entertainment or political celebrity suicide story were 14.3 times more likely to find a copycat […]

Published in “Suicide Risk & Protective Factors in the New Millennium,” ed. by O T Grad

For the original position paper by L Snyder & D Sulmasy, please see SIEC #2004-1133

This article examined the prevalence of affective disorder, a history of traumatic events, & the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their relationship to “psychopathy” in a sample of younger male delinquents. Affective disorder was found in 28% & 29% had a history of suicidal attempts. Psychopathy was significantly correlated with a number of […]

The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of contact made with GPs by subjects in two cities prior to attempting suicide, in order to determine whether differences in the health care system could be a possible factor influencing the help-seeking behaviour of people experiencing suicidal crises. Structured interviews were conducted with suicide attempters […]

The paper is a report on results obtained in the course of a multicentre international study on depressive disorders in four countries, which was sponsored & coordinated by the World Health Organization. A total of 573 patients were evaluated & the data were utilized in uni- & multivariate statistical analyses aiming to establish whether similar […]

The personalities of 6,315 Swiss conscripts of the army were assessed in 1971 by the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPR), together with social attributes & consumption of tobacco, alcohol, & drugs. Up to 1983, 185 psychiatric patients were identified who were treated as inpatients or outpatients in the same geographic area. A subsample of 87 patients […]

In order to determine if the NOTCH4 locus of human chromosone 6 is associated with schizophrenia, the authors analyzed two polymorphisms in this gene in Swedish schizophrenic patients & control patients. The findings did not support that the investigated NOTCH4 variants have a major influence on susceptibility to schizophrenia or related neurobiological traits including previous […]

This article provides a detailed comparison of the history of the origins, legislation, monitoring systems & the extent of assistance in dying in The Netherlands, Oregon & Switzerland, the only areas in the world where assistance in dying has legally been practised in recent years. Differences in practise, regulations, & normative concepts underlying legislation are […]

For responses to this article, please see SIEC #2003-0713.

For the original article by S A Hurst & A Mauron, please see SIEC #2003-0712

The remediation processes in psychosocial crisis intervention were modeled focusing on cognitive orientation. The process of crisis intervention was studied in an inpatient treatment unit. The authors found that crisis intervention should focus on having patients increasingly engage in outward cognitive orientation in order to stabilize mood, reduce anxiety, & activate their resources. (36 refs)

A series of 24 consecutive Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were prospectively studied prior to & within 6 months postoperatively for mood, motor, & cognitive status to investigate the effects on mood of subthalamic deep brain stimulation in PD. In 6 patients, mood state worsened significantly, & 3 were transiently suicidal despite clear motor improvement. Implications […]

This chapter will analyse the problem of suicide among the elderly in Switzerland, taking into account the peculiarities of this country, & comparing it to other European countries. To better understand the particular context of suicide among the elderly in Switzerland, a brief description of some demographic & mortality-related indicators in this country will be […]

For the purpose of systematically analysing the widely accepted clinical impression that a close connection exists between depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies, the authors studied specific variables in 364 patients admitted to the University Psychiatric Clinic in Basle to receive treatment for depression. The statistical analysis covered the following variables: sex and age, main nosological […]