An Unmatched Case-Control Study of Nearly Lethal Suicide Attempts in Houston, Texas: Research Methods and Measurements

This article details the research methods & measurements used in conducting a population-based, case-control study of nearly lethal suicide attempts among persons aged 13-34 years, residing in Houston Texas between November 1992 & July 1995, in order to extend the authors’ understanding of suicidal behavior & prevention strategies. The authors discuss the overall strengths & weaknesses of their study design & conclude that this methodology is well suited for studying rare outcomes such as nearly lethal suicide. (37 refs)