Suicide Prevention in Young Adults (Age 18–30)

The rate of suicide in young adults has more than doubled since 1950. This paper presents some explanations for this rise and analyzes the diagnoses and population groups whose high rates of suicide contribute most of this increase. The factors leading to suicide are presented for each group, and preventative interventions are developed from the analyses. Groups that can be readily affected by suicide reduction measures are discussed, and methods for reducing their suicide rates are proposed.     

Suicide Prevention in the Elderly (Age 65–99)

Suicide rates by age are highest among older adults. Subpopulations of elderly adults at high risk are identified, including White males, the target of a Healthy People 2000 Objective. Several specific programs are described and a range of measures to prevent suicide in late life are suggested. These measures include primary prevention steps related to education and information dissemination, and secondary prevention involving early identification and assessment of the depressed and suicidal as well as improved referral efforts.     

Suicide Prevention in Adolescents (Age 12–18)

The epidemiology of adolescent suicide is summarized with particular emphasis on temporal trends by age and gender. “First-generation” prevention programs, as reviewed and critiqued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are then examined. In the absence of compelling empirically based behavioral outcome data, selective targeted “second-generation” prevention efforts are then described across the primary-secondary-tertiary continuum. These efforts are focused toward targets of individual predisposition, the social milieu, or proximal agents associated with high risk for suicidal behaviors. Finally, with an eye toward the future, current obstacles and unanswered questions are explored as they relate to opportunities and hopes for change in effecting reduced rates of these behaviors.     

California's Suicide Decline, 1970–1990

From 1970 to 1990 California experienced a 32% decline in suicide, which was particularly pronounced among women, non-whites, the young, and urban dwellers. Suicide declines of over 50% were recorded in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and large decreases occurred in other coastal counties. Additionally, California was the only one of 51 states to show a consistent decline in teenage and young-adult suicide (accompanied by an 88% decrease in teenage drug and other poisoning deaths). Initial investigation of death certification, accident and homicide trends, economic measures, and prevention efforts did not produce an explanation for a suicide decrease of California's magnitude. However, the state does display anomalous trends in certain social measures (reduced divorce, rising non-White population, and rising homicide) that point to multifactorial hypotheses including demographic changes and changed attitudes toward violence. Review of the accuracy of past suicide certification procedures nationally is also indicated.     

Job Satisfaction Researches of 1964–65

This annual review of job satisfaction researches is the 23rd in a series and covers reports published in 1964–65 plus earlier studies not previously dealt with in this journal. The format—findings and conclusions, topics investigated, per cent dissatisfied, current emphases, and summaries of studies—has become standard in this series of articles.     

Suicide: Media Impacts in War and Peace, 1910–1920

The literature of the impact of publicized suicide stories on suicide has neglected the influence of social contexts. In the present study, the context of a popular war was inspected. A Durkheimian perspective was tested, wherein the context of war would lower suicide through promoting social integration. Suicide stories in such times should have less of an impact than in times of peace. Data were collected on widely publicized suicide stories during the World War I decade. A Cochrane—Orcutt iterative time series analysis found that publicized suicide stories during war had no impact on suicide. In contrast, peacetime suicide stories were associated with an increase of 48 suicides. This is significant, since the electronic media were nonexistent and hence could not reinforce the publicity in the printed media, as they do today. Further analysis of the relationship found similar results for New York City.