Year: 1980 Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, v.14, (1980), p.1-15 SIEC No: 19831460

Reviews the literature & discusses changing rates of suicidal behaviour, validity of statistics, social factors, availability of methods, & effects of intervention. It is concluded that there is no evidence that intervention following attempted suicide is associated with an improvement in social outcome. It is also emphasized that in the majority of those who commit suicide, & in 1/3 of suicide attempters, psychiatric illness is present (usually depression).