The Themes Expressed in Suicide Calls to a Telephone Help Line

The call sheets kept by counsellors on 409 suicide calls were content analysed resulting in a reliable checklist comprising 9 major themes. The prevalence of these themes within the sample was then determined & age & gender differences expressed by 189 first-time callers were examined. Almost equal numbers of male & female calls were received & the 9 themes were mentioned 981 times. Among first-time callers, males under 35 years were around 75% more likely to refer to relationship breakdown than were same-age females. Results suggest the promotion of intimacy & coping strategies may be central to the primary prevention of suicide. (12 refs.)