Resource Tag: UNITED STATES. ALABAMA

Background: Recent studies have shown that lithium may be effective at reducing suicide at low doses, such as those found in drinking water. Aims: The purpose of this study was to compare suicide rates with natural lithium levels in the drinking water of various Alabama counties. Method: Five drinking water samples from each of 15 […]

The goal of the Wiregrass Suicide Prevention Services Plan is to reduce the incidence of suicide & non-lethal suicidal behaviour in the Wiregrass, Alabama area. The goals & objectives associated with each of the 3 stated purposes – raise awareness, provide intervention, use research methodology – are outlined.

This article discusses the case of Thompson versus Patton in which the Supreme Court of Alabama reviewed the trial court’s decision to grant a motion for summary judgment in favour of the defendant in a malpractice suit alleging negligence by a psychiatrist who discharged a patient from the hospital 3 days before the patient’s suicide. […]

24 adult men & women diagnosed with major depressive disorder, having a depressive episode with suicidality despite taking an antidepressant, were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive risperidone or placebo while continuing their antidepressant therapy. Clinical efficacy in suicidality, depressive symptoms, & impulsivity were assessed after 4 days, […]

To investigate the asssociation between self-reported HIV discrimination & health outcomes among women living with HIV, 366 women were recruited from HIV/AIDS clinics in Georgia & Alabama. In this cross-sectional study, participants completed an interview. Nearly a sixth of the sample reported experiencing HIV discrimination. These women had higher mean scores for stress, suicide ideation, […]

Objective  To assess the scope of diagnostic screening for suicide prevention in general hospital patients. Methods  Retrospective medical record review of general hospital patients who committed suicide and matched-control subjects who did not commit suicide shortly after being discharged from the hospital. Results  The suicide rate was 32 per 100 000 patient-years. Eight (73%) of 11 […]

This document presents Alabama’s first suicide prevention plan, which localizes & builds upon the fifteen points raised in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide 1999.” The 3 overall goals addressed in the plan are: (1) to recognize suicide as a problem affecting Alabama; (2) to outline a […]

Published in “The Suicidal Process: Challenges for Treatment and Prevention”

This document briefly presents a State Suicide Prevention Plan drafted by the Alabama Suicide Task Force. It identifies the goals of the plan, & outlines a strategy for suicide prevention in Alabama.

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The current study sought to determine whether newspaper accounts of intentional injuries could provide a reliable source of primary or secondary surveillance data. Newspaper accounts of intentional injuries occuring in Jefferson County, Alabama, between January 1st, 1991 & December 31, 1991, were compared with similar data from official government agencies. Much information of potential value […]

Differences in psychiatric referral rates among demographic groups of general hospital patients between 1995 & 1998 in a southern university setting were studied. The contribution of suicide attempts to referral rates was assessed. Psychiatric consultations were done in 2% of all admissions. Age, race, & admitting service were found to be independently associated with psychiatric […]

This study examined fatal occupational injuries that occured in Jefferson County, Alabama, from 1990 through 1999. Mortality rates were calculated by sex, age, race, occupation, & industry. There were 186 fatal ccupational injuries; 136 were unintentional. Supervisors & proprietors in sales occupations were found to have the highest suicide rate. Further findings are discussed. (31 […]

129 undergraduates were assessed for suicidal preoccupation & perfectionistic tendencies using the Alabama Adolescent Health Survey, selected cards from the Thematic Apperception Test & the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Results suggest that passive perfectionists who procrastinate out of fear of making mistakes are more likely to be preoccupied with suicide. High personal standards & parental expectations […]

This article describes attitudes towards guns in Alabama & events surrounding a shooting followed by suicide in the highschool parking lot. The friend survived & the shooting would have been ruled accidental. The article notes that the death of the 16-year old fits no convenient pattern of teenage suicide. Friends & family believe he killed […]

Differences & trends of methods in suicide were examined using death certificate data from 1980 through 1989, with special attention to comparisons of firearm vs non-fiream suicides. Findings: 78.7% of suicides were firearm victims. Whites has a higher risk of using firearms than nonwhites with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.2. The OR for males […]

Suicide rates among industrial groups were examined systematically using death certificate data from 1984 through 1989 in Alabama. People employed in public administration had the lowest rate, in comparison to the construction industry which had the highest rate. Employees in the mining industry experienced a similarly high rate. The differences of suicide rates may be […]

Based on data gathered from Alabama’s Vital Records for the period 1978-1988, the mean suicide & homicide rates per 100,000 & the mean illegitimacy rate per 1,000 was calculated for 67 counties. 41 counties were listed as “wet” & 25 as “dry”. Dry counties had lower mean homicide & illegitimacy rates but higher mean suicide […]

This article discusses the decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that claimed each jurisdiction can be found liable for a suicide that occurred based upon the hazardous conditions of the jail. The article then goes on to relate specific cases of jail suicides that the 11th Circuit Court has had to decide on.

The authors interviewed hospitalized attempters & the professional caregivers they consulted prior to their attempts. About half of these patients directly disclosed suicidal symptoms or intentions, especially to mental health professionals. These professionals more often inquired about suicidal ideation than did nonpsychiatric physicians. However, few caregivers noted suicidal thinking or probed suicidal symptoms suggesting that […]

This newsletter contains 3 articles. The 1st describes a suicide prevention program in an Alabama jail. The inmates are asked to sign a contract agreeing not to harm themselves & to seek help if they feel suicidal. If they refuse to sign, they are assigned a “buddy” (a trained inmate). The 2nd article describes a […]

This paper analyzes deaths in a geriatric population by Mobile County (Alabama) Coroner’s office. 39 percent were aged 65 or older. Findings indicate that trauma is a major problem in the elderly. The combined homicides, suicides, & accidents constitute the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly in Moblie County. States that future studies […]