Resource Tag: UNITED STATES. MISSOURI

The American Psychiatric Association’s 1973 decision to eliminate homosexuality as a mental disorder has created interest in the extent to which a person’s sexual orientation continues to be used as the basis for psychiatric diagnosis. Records of 359 patients given a DSM II diagnosis of Homosexuality/Sexual Orientation Disturbance between 1973 & 1979 were obtained from […]

The authors studied the demographic characteristics and history of psychiatric treatment of 214 homicide victims and 67 suicide victims. 32 (15%) of the homicide victims and 12 (18%) of the suicide victims had a record of psychiatric care; these rates were higher than the treatment rate of the general population. The authors suggest that there […]

Book describes a study of 134 suicides committed during a 1-year period in St. Louis & environs. Author attempts to determine the antecedents of the suicides using 305 interviews with the victims’ close associates. Provides detailed case histories and discusses such topics as assessment, risk indicators, alcoholism & affective disorders.(DD)

A random sample of 3935 adults from a general population were interviewed & asked to report how often they had thoughts of suicide & their opinion on the frequency of suicide ideation in others. 5.4% reported some degree of suicide ideation in the previous month, and 9.1% reported that others think about suicide once a […]

A study to isolate sociological influences which are related to completed suicides in the state of Missouri. Age, rural-urban residence, marital status, sex, race and occupation were taken as the variables to be used as indicators of social integration. (KB)

Presents age-specific suicide rates, based on 207 white patients of the Missouri Department of Mental Health who were identified as having committed suicide during 1972-74. Results indicate that male inpatients are 5 times, & females 10 times, more likely to commit suicide than the general population. In both sexes, the rate is greatest for those […]

An investigation to ascertain the role of expected intentionality and self-injury risk in suicide risk. 807 reported attempted suicides and suicides in St. Louis County, Missouri were analyzed and rated utilizing a revised version of the Intention-to-Die Scales developed by Freeman et al. (KB)

An interview of 127 (84 female, 43 male) hospitalized suicide attempters compares data on family history & psychiatric diagnosis. Patients with personality disorder (45% of the sample) frequently report a family history of suicide; patients with primary affective disorder report such a history less often. Results are discussed in terms of possible reasons for familial […]

73 inpatients completed Beck’s Suicide Ideator Scale, Beck’s Hopelessness Scale and the MMPI Depression Scale. As hypothesized, suicide intent was significantly more correlated with hopelessness than with depression. When the effect of hopelessness was removed statistically, there was no relationship between suicide intent and depression.

Investigated suicide attempts among 500 patients randomly selected from a psychiatric clinic. Of nearly 100 variables tested, 23 were statistically associated with attempts among all subjects. Only 4 were associated with attempts independent of the diagnoses of hysteria & homosexuality: younger age at interview, history of: psychiatric hospitalization, attempts in the family & mother being […]

12% of suicides in Missouri had previously been state mental health care patients. Compared to nonpatient suicides the patient suicides had a more equal male/female ratio & were younger. Schizophrenia, alcoholism (among males), & affective disorders (among females) were prominent. Nonwhites had a low incidence of suicide. The significance of patient status at the time […]

This paper reports on a study of 60 teenagers in a psychiatric hospital & 60 in non-psychiatric hospitals. Suicidal communication occurred in two thirds of the psychiatric patients & were considered serious expressions of intent. Discusses 6 common means of suicidal communication, as well as the frequency, methods & circumstances of such communications.

A 10 year follow-up of 35 patients admitted for suicide attempts and 17 controls. An attempt to relate seriousness of attempt to outcome. 68% of patients were contacted. 10% eventually died by suicide. Survivors continued to have significant continuing psychosocial problems. There was little long term change in subjects life styles. (JE)

Since 1966, the Missouri Department of Mental Health, has utilized a statewide computerized information system. Early in the history of this project, there was interest in the feasibility of classifying individual patients into clinically useful categories. After development, a Missouri Actuarial Report Systems report was triggered automatically whenever an admission inpatient mental status report was […]

This study shows that the introduction & use of a systematic report form increases the amount of information available to a certifying official in determining cause of death. The files of all open & suicide verdict cases in St. Louis county, U.S. for 3 time periods in the early 1970’s were reviewed. The effect of […]

The authors report their experience with a suicide prevention center. Most people calling the center on their own behalf were psychiatrically ill; 2/3 chronically so. 4/5 of the callers had had previous professional attention. Over half had made previous suicide attempts. Depressed mood was the most common motive for calling while acute interpersonal crises were […]