---

Studies in the News for

California Department of Mental Health

---

Studies in the News is a service provided to the Legislature and Governor's Office by the State Library's Research Bureau. Weekly lists of current articles related to legislative issues will be supplemented by monthly lists focusing on a specific area of public policy. Prior lists can be viewed from the California State Library's Web site at www.library.ca.gov/CRB/SITN.cfm.

This service works as before:

• In addition to our regular Studies in the News, you may request any of our five monthly "Supplements" in the following areas by sending a reply to this e-mail (Please mark your choices).

• _____ Education Policy

• _____ Health Care Policy

• _____ Children and Family Policy

• _____ Environment, Growth Management and Transportation Policy

• _____ Employment, Training, Vocational Education, and Welfare to Work

• You may get copies of these studies by e-mailing a request to <chenningfeld@library.ca.gov> (Christie Henningfeld oversees the State Library's Capitol office), by calling 319-2691, or by stopping by room 5210 in the Capitol.

• If you would like us to try to get other studies, please e-mail information about each study you want to <chenningfeld@library.ca.gov>.

• Please use the same avenues if you want to be off the distribution lists.

• The list which follows shows only current additions to the collection. If you would like a cumulative list, or a cumulative list for only selected topics, please e-mail <chenningfeld@library.ca.gov>.

HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

“Adolescent Suicide Prevention: School Psychologists' Acceptability of School-Based Programs.” By Tanya L. Eckert, Syracuse University, and others. IN: School Psychology Review, vol. 32, no. 1 (2003) pp. 57-76.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9625054&site=ehost-live

[“From a random sample of members of the 1996-1997 membership directory of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), school psychologists' acceptability ratings of three school-based programs for the prevention of adolescent suicide were examined. A total of 211 (46.2%) respondents read a case description of a particular prevention program and completed the Suicide Prevention Program Rating Profile (SPPRP; Eckert, Miller, DuPaul, & Scherff, 2002), a measure designed to evaluate the acceptability of suicide prevention programs.

Suicide prevention programs evaluated for their acceptability included: (a) school-wide curriculum-based programs presented to students; (b) in-service presentations to school staff; and (c) students' self-report screening programs. The results indicated that school psychologists rated the staff in-service training and curriculum-based programs as significantly more acceptable than the school-wide screening program. In addition, the school-wide screening program was rated as significantly more intrusive by school psychologists than the staff in-service training or curriculum-based prevention programs.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplement Issue #3

[Request #S607096]

Return to the Table of Contents

“An Exploration of National Calls to Lifeline Australia: Social Support or Urgent Suicide Intervention?” By Robert Watson, University of Ballarat, Australia, and others. IN: British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, vol. 34, no. 4 (November 2006) pp. 471-482.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=22897487&site=ehost-live

[“Lifeline Australia Inc. provides a free 24-hour telephone counselling and referral service to all Australians. The trained telephone counsellors of the service record information on many of their calls in Lifeline's Client Service Management Information System (CSMIS).

This paper presents a descriptive summary of a national CSMIS data set, which was compiled during a 3-month period in 2003. The CSMIS data provided a clear national profile of the callers to the service. The results of this study support the hypothesis that callers are generally seeking social support from the service. The discussion explores the implications of this finding for Lifeline and other generalist counselling and referral services and their capacity to offer suicide intervention to the community.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplement Issue #3

[Request #S607097]

Return to the Table of Contents

“The Challenge of Suicide Prevention: An Overview of National Strategies.” By Martin Anderson, University of Nottingham, and Rachel Jenkins, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Mental Health. IN: Disease Management & Health Outcomes, vol. 13, no. 4 (August 2005) pp. 245-253.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=17715626&site=ehost-live

[“Suicide is a global phenomenon. It is estimated that 0.5–1.2 million people worldwide die by suicide each year. Taking into account the global epidemiologic data concerning suicide and the economic impact of this phenomenon on diverse societies, this review aims to examine national suicide prevention strategies. Recognition of suicide as an international public health problem, increased reporting by countries on suicide rates to the WHO, and recognition of the costs (associated with suicide) to society have been crucial influences on the establishment of national strategies. Past reviews on national suicide prevention strategies highlight the fact that those countries with established national strategies share a number of themes relating to intervention. These are grounded in international guidance on suicide prevention and accepted epidemiologic and treatment-based research.

This paper highlights comparative rates of suicide around the world, explores the economic implications of suicide and the nature of specific established national strategies for prevention. This paper highlights the urgency for the development of national suicide prevention strategies in all countries. Clearly, countries can learn from each other and integrate established, shared themes. It is argued that nations need to move towards nation-specified prevention strategies with effective structures for research, monitoring, and evaluation. This has been seen in countries such as Finland and New Zealand, where strategies have been effective in building inter-agency working and so benefiting different stake-holders.”]

found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607098]

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

“Prevention of Suicide.” By J. John Mann and Dianne Currier, New York Psychiatric Institute. IN: Psychiatric Annals, vol. 37, no. 5 (May 2007) pp. 331-339.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hch&AN=25121489&site=ehost-live

[“The article discusses issues related to suicide prevention. According to the authors, 30,000 suicide cases are reported in the U.S. annually, and men commit suicide more frequently than women. There are two broad categories of suicide attempts. Risk factors for suicidal behavior include psychiatric disorders, pessimism and a history of child abuse. Clinical strategies for the prevention of suicide are described….

Studies comparing suicides to non-suicides, or suicide attempters to non-attempters, have identified many factors associated with suicidal behavior, including biological, genetic, clinical, and psychological factors. Given the multi-causal nature of suicidal behavior, an explanatory model can assist in understanding the interaction of risk factors and protective factors and, thus, also identify points at which preventive interventions can be made.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607101]

Return to the Table of Contents

“Suicidality, School Dropout, and Reading Problems Among Adolescents.” By Stefanie S. Daniel, Wake Forrest University, and others. IN: Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 39, no. 6 (November/December 2006) pp. 507-514.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=22834424&site=ehost-live

[“The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and school dropout among youth with poor reading in comparison to youth with typical reading (n = 188) recruited from public schools at the age of 15. In a prospective naturalistic study, youth and parents participated in repeated research assessments to obtain information about suicide ideation and attempts, psychiatric and sociodemographic variables, and school dropout.

Youth with poor reading ability were more likely to experience suicidal ideation or attempts and more likely to drop out of school than youth with typical reading, even after controlling for sociodemographic and psychiatric variables. Suicidality and school dropout were strongly associated with each other. Prevention efforts should focus on better understanding the relationship between these outcomes, as well as on the developmental paths leading up to these behaviors among youth with reading difficulties.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607102]

Return to the Table of Contents

“Suicide Attempts Among Adolescent Mexican American Students Enrolled in Special Education Classes.” By Catherine Medina and Gaye Luna, Northern Arizona University. IN: Adolescence, vol. 41, no. 162 (Summer 2006) pp. 299-312.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=22251596&site=ehost-live

[“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among school-aged students between the ages of 15 and 19. There is an increasing frequency of suicide and other self-destructive behaviors among Mexican American youth and students in special education classrooms for emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Recognizing Mexican American youth in special education classes as a separate risk group, this study (a) identifies factors that contribute to suicide, (b) reviews the signs and characteristics associated with these factors, (c) interviews Mexican American students in special education who have either exhibited various characteristics of suicidal thoughts and/or have attempted suicide, (d) explores effective prevention programs, and (e) provides suggestions for school personnel. Interviews with five adolescent Mexican American special education students support previous research findings that depression, substance abuse, social and interpersonal conflict, family distress, and school stress are primary characteristics related to suicidal minority youth.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607103]

Return to the Table of Contents

“Suicide in Older Adults: Nursing Assessment of Suicide Risk.” By Linda Garand, University of Pittsburg, and others. IN: Issues in Mental Health Nursing, vol. 27, no. 4 (May 2006) pp. 355-370.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2006-05148-004&site=ehost-live

[“A fundamental objective of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is the prevention of suicide in older adults, especially elderly males, because these individuals are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group. Furthermore, they are the fastest growing segment of the population. The suicide rates for older Caucasian men are particularly high.

Because nurses play an important role in the identification of persons at risk for suicide, it is important that they be cognizant of the complex risk factors involved in late life suicide. Toward that end, we review the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in older adults and discuss risk factors that contribute to completed suicide in these individuals. Lastly, we discuss the role of nurses in the identification of older adults at risk for suicidal behavior so that life-saving treatment measures can be implemented.”]

Found in academic Search premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607104]

Return to the Table of Contents

“Suicide in Recently Released Prisoners: A Population-Based Cohort Study.” By Daniel Pratt, University of Manchester, and others. IN: Lancet, vol. 368, no. 9530 (July 8, 2006) pp. 119-123.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=21491269&site=ehost-live

[“Several studies have been undertaken on suicide in custody, but few on suicides after the release from prison. We undertook a population-based cohort study to investigate suicide rates in recently released prisoners in England and Wales. Methods we used the database of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness for England and Wales to identify all individuals who died by suicide or who received an open verdict at the coroner's inquest between 2000 and 2002. These records were linked to a Home Office register to identify all such deaths in people within 1 year of release from prison in England and Wales. We compared suicide rates per 100,000 person-years in these released prisoners with rates in the general population by using the indirectly age-standardised mortality ratio.

We identified 382 suicides occurring in 244,988 individuals within 1 year of release from prison; a suicide rate of 156 per 100,000 person-years. 79 (21%) suicides occurred within the first 28 days after release. In all age groups, suicide rates were higher in recently released prisoners than in the general population….

Recently released prisoners are at a much greater risk of suicide than the general population, especially in the first few weeks after release. The risk of suicide in recently released prisoners is approaching that seen in discharged psychiatric patients. A shared responsibility lies with the prison, probation, health, and social services to develop more collaborative practices in providing services for this high-risk group.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607105]

Return to the Table of Contents

“Suicide Prevention Program in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro.” By Dedic J. Gordona, and Panic Milivoje, Department of Mental Health, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade. IN: Military Medicine, vol. 172, no. 5 (May 2007) pp. 551-555.

Full Text at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25223014&site=ehost-live

[“Suicide, as one of the greatest problems of maladjustment to the military environment, has been a subject of investigation in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslav Army) for more than six decades. The Suicide Prevention Program was implemented in December 2003. The aim of the study was to follow-up the application of the Suicide Prevention Program in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro and its effect on the suicide rate and to compare its incidence in civilians.

Results of the program application showed that the number of suicides in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro was constantly reducing over the period 2004 to 2005. For soldiers, it was even four times less than in the civilian male population, particularly in the period of adaptation to the military environment. Since the Suicide Prevention Program in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro proved to be successful in decreasing the suicide number, it should be further improved and routinely applied.”]

Found in Academic Search Premier-Supplemental Issue #3

[Request #S607106]

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents