To What Extent Does the Reporting Behavior of the Media Regarding a Celebrity Suicide Influence Subsequent Suicides in South Korea?

This study investigated the nature of media coverage of a national entertainer's suicide and its impact on subsequent suicides. After the celebrity suicide, the number of suicide‐related articles reported surged around 80 times in the week after the suicide compared with the week prior. Many articles (37.1%) violated several critical items on the World Health Organization suicide reporting guidelines, like containing a detailed suicide method. Most gender and age subgroups were at significantly higher risk of suicide during the 4 weeks after the celebrity suicide. Results imply that massive and noncompliant media coverage of a celebrity suicide can cause a large‐scale copycat effect.     

Proposal for a Distinctive Diagnosis: the Deliberate Self-Harm Syndrome (DSH)

ABSTRACT: Self-destructive behavior is a major clinical problem in psychiatry. A review of the literature reveals the existence of enough clinical data to identify a diagnostic entity, “The Deliberate Self-Harm Syndrome” (DSH). The authors present a diagnostic formulation of the DSH syndrome (in the DSM-III format) which consists of four essential clinical features, a group bof associteds features, clinical features, a group of associated features, a clinical course of typical onset in late adolescence, with multiple recurent episodes, with multiple methods of low lethality physical self-injury, extending over many years. On the basis of relatively exclusive association of clinical signs and symptoms a heuristic clinical entity is proposed.     

Clarifying the Role of Psychological Pain in the Risks of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Acts among Patients with Major Depressive Episodes

The role of psychological pain in the risk of suicide was explored using a three‐dimensional psychological pain model (pain arousal, painful feelings, pain avoidance). The sample consisted of 111 outpatients with major depressive episodes, including 28 individuals with suicidal histories. They completed the Chinese version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Psychache Scale, and the three‐dimensional Psychological Pain Scale (TDPPS). A structured clinical interview was conducted to assess the history of suicidal acts. Significant correlations were found among BDI, BSI, and TDPPS scores (p < .01). Stepwise regression analyses showed that only pain avoidance scores significantly predicted suicide ideation at one's worst point (β = .79, p < .001) and suicidal acts (β = .46, p < .001). Pain avoidance was also a better predictor of current suicidal ideation (β = .37, p = .001) than were BDI scores (β = .31, p < .01). Increased levels of pain avoidance during a major depressive episode may be a dominant component of the motivation for suicide. Future clinical assessments for populations at high risk of suicide should include measures of psychological pain to reduce the incidence of suicide.     

Military Veterans' Experiences with Suicidal Ideation: Implications for Intervention and Prevention

We sought to understand Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans' experiences with suicidal ideation. Semi‐structured interviews with 34 OEF/OIF veterans addressed circumstances leading up to disclosure of suicidal ideation during brief clinical assessments. We used an iterative, inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach. Results revealed three pervasive, persistent domains that reinforce the uniqueness of veteran suicidal thoughts: military culture, difficult deployment experiences, and postdeployment adjustment challenges. Within postdeployment, we identified four themes that serve as intervention targets: adjusting to civilian culture, changes to sense of self, feeling overwhelmed by stressors, and lacking life purpose or meaning.     

Awareness,Attitudes, and Use of Crisis Hotlines among Youth At‐Risk for Suicide

Crisis hotlines have been central to suicide prevention efforts; however, utilization among youth remains low. A sample of at‐risk youth was surveyed about their awareness, utilization, and attitudes toward local and national crisis hotlines. Youth reported low rates of awareness and utilization, yet expressed a strong interest in phone hotlines (41% vs. 59% for new media categories combined). Youth reported stigma, but that help‐seeking could be positively influenced by peers and adults in their support system. Implications include making crisis services available across several mediums and the importance of engaging trusted others in youth suicide awareness campaigns and prevention efforts.