"Experts Call for Increased Research, Prevention (Suicide)." Health & Medicine Week (November 4, 2002): p. 3. Notes: Available full-text on InfoTrac database
Abstract: Approximately 30,000 Americans commit suicide a year and countless more attempt it. Statistics indicate that there are three suicide deaths every hour in America and, on average, one suicide attempt occurs every minute. International statistics put the number of suicide deaths at around 1 million a year, but experts expect this number is a gross underestimate. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, suicide and suicidal behaviors are preventable, and they have announced a 3-year, $2.5 million annual grant to establish a national suicide prevention resource, to provide aid in implementing prevention programs.

"The Horrible Exception: Suicide in China." The Economist (US) (December 1, 2001). Notes: Available full-text on InfoTrac database
Abstract: A quiet revolution has been unfolding in China. At the third national conference on mental health, held in Beijing last month, government officials openly admitted that, with 250,000 victims every year, suicide was a major national problem. A decade ago, suicide statistics were, literally, a state secret. Today, the media often report on the issue, and national get-togethers are organized to tackle it. People kill themselves everywhere in the world, but in China, unlike anywhere else, more women take their own lives than men. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is now a leading cause of death for young women in rural China. China makes up 21 percent of the world population but accounts for over 55 percent of female suicides. Life for rural Chinese women can be dismal, often combining farm work, housework, abusive husbands or in-laws, and forced sterilization. Yet, the lot of Chinese women is shared by many in other countries, who nonetheless do not resort to suicide in anything like the same proportions. What sets Chinese women apart is discussed in this article.

Amery, Jean. On Suicide: A Discourse on Voluntary Death. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1999. Call Number: HV 6545 .A5713
Abstract: This book probes deeply into the meaning of death and into the human capacity for suicide or voluntary death. Although religion and society may treat suicide as an unnatural and absurd act, the author claims that it is no less natural and absurd than many other forms of living and dying--and in many cases is more natural and reasonable than other alternatives an individual may face. The book is neither a defense of suicide nor an invitation to assisted suicide, but an analysis of the state of mind of those who are suicidal and who actually do commit suicide. It is also a strident defense of the freedom of the individual and a plea for the recognition of the fact that we belong to ourselves before belonging to another person, or an institution, nation, or religion, and that our right to choose to end our life can have priority over social entanglements and biological destiny.

Burke, Tod and Rhonda Rigsby. "Suicide by Cop Revisited." Law and Order (June 1999): pp. 97-102.
Abstract: "Officer, I'm sorry to get you involved. I just needed to die. Please let my family know I had to do this. This was all my doing. You had no way of knowing." This note, written by 19-year-old Moshe "Moe" Pergament, was found moments after Officer Anthony Sica shot and killed the young man. Pergament had pulled a revolver, later identified as a toy, from his waistband and advanced toward the officer. Pergament was first observed by Officer Thomas Pollock driving erratically and speeding. When Pollock made a traffic stop, Pergament jumped from the vehicle and began wildly waving his arms. When Pollock ordered Pergament back into the car, Pergament pulled the gun. As Sica arrived to assist Pollock, Pergament turned the gun to Sica and began to approach, ignoring repeated commands to stop and drop the weapon. Sica and Pollock were victims of a scene repeated throughout the United States and Canada commonly referred to as "Suicide by Cop." It is an incident in which an individual engages in life-threatening and criminal behavior in order to force law enforcement officers to kill him or her. This article discusses that phenomenon.

Couturier, Lance. "Suicide Prevention in a Large State Department of Corrections." Corrections Today (August 2001): 10 p.
Abstract: During the years 1991 to 1994, the suicide rate of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmates fluctuated between a low of 3 fatalities in a population of 26,060--to a high of 6 deaths in a population of 28,302. But in 1995, the rate jumped to 14 fatalities in a population of 32,410 inmates. In response to the dramatic increase in self-inflicted deaths, the department analyzed suicide fatalities and attempts, to identity special risk factors, then reviewed and revised suicide prevention policies, and implemented a "full court press to save lives." This article is the result of that intense scrutiny.

Donnelly, John [ed.]. Suicide: Right or Wrong? Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998.
Abstract: What exactly counts as suicide? Is suicide ever rational or morally justified? Is it ever obligatory? Are suicidal actions--or patterns of self-negligent behavior that result in death--also bona fide suicides? Is it psychiatrically accurate to label successful or unsuccessful suicides as mentally deranged or seriously depressed and, in the case of the unsuccessful, in need of confinement or treatment? Should people who assist or abet others be criminally prosecuted? Is the notion of self-murder an oxymoron? Are cases of altruistically motivated self-killings really suicides? Are self-annihilations prompted by honor or loyalty--i.e., choosing death over dishonor--genuine suicides? Do autonomous individuals have a right to die? Do they have the right to assistance in their deaths? These and a host of related matters are explored in this book. It is a timely collection of essays that clarifies the battle lines of public debate surrounding this intense and painful topic.

Evans, William P., et al. "Adolescent Suicide Risk and Peer-Related Violent Behaviors and Victimization." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (December 2001): pp. 1330-348. Notes: Also available full-text on Criminal Justice Periodical Index database
Abstract: This exploratory study seeks to better understand the link between peer-related violence (perpetration and victimization) and suicide risk among youth. The study uses data gathered from Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming, where the highest rates of adolescent suicide in the United States are found. Higher levels of reported suicide risk were prominent among the multi-ethnic, urban and female respondents. Male and female respondents who perpetrated violence by initiating fights, threatening to use weapons, and using weapons to assault others were more likely to be classified in the high-risk suicide group than those who did not. General results were similar for victims and those witnessing violence. Implications for prevention programming and future research are discussed.

Grollman, Earl A. and Max Malikow. Living When A Young Friend Commits Suicide -- Or Even Starts Talking About It. Boston: Beacon Press, 1999. Call Number: HV 6546 .G75 1999
Abstract: One of your friends or relatives has committed suicide, or has been talking about it. You're not alone. The suicide rate among teenagers and young adults has tripled in the last 30 years. This book talks about things like the first days after a death and what you may feel; the need to know why; how you can tell if someone is suicidal; what to do if you've promised not to tell anyone; returning to school after a suicide; and popular misconceptions--like the idea that people who attempt suicide are just looking for attention. It is a straightforward, compassionate book--one that gives comfort and expert ideas for helping yourself.

Heindel, Anthony J. "Suicide By Drowning? An Unlikely Method." Journal of Forensic Identification 52, no. 2(2002): pp. 145-50. Notes: Also available full-text on Criminal Justice Periodical Index database
Abstract: According to the International Classification of Diseases, in 1993, 355 people in the United States committed suicide by drowning. Studies have shown that suicide by drowning accounts for a small percentage--2.86 to 8.9--of all suicides. When investigating death by drowning, the investigator must consider many different factors surrounding the incident to evaluate it fairly. Death by drowning may be associated with an accidental event. However, homicide and suicide should not be initially ruled out. Although suicide by drowning is an unlikely method of suicide, it is also an unlikely method of homicide. The author describes two different "drowning" incidents that point out the complexities of these types of events.

Henkel, John. "Curbing Suicide." FDA Consumer (July 2001): p. 37.
Abstract: Every day, more than 1,500 Americans attempt suicide: 86 of them succeed, making the yearly suicide toll in this country a devastating 30,000. According to the Surgeon General, suicide is reaching epidemic proportions in some groups. To help Americans understand suicide and to suggest ways to prevent it, the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a new coalition of four Federal public health agencies, has created a website that brings together varied expertise. At the www.mentalhealth.org/suicideprevention you'll find information about what to do if you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide, current research into suicide, suicide prevention measures, and policies and legislation.

Honig, Audrey. "Police Assisted Suicide: Identification, Intervention, and Investigation." The Police Chief (October 2001): p. 89(6).
Abstract: A new "old" phenomenon has emerged on the front line of police work. That phenomenon is victim-precipitated homicide, more commonly known as police-assisted suicide, or suicide by cop. Law enforcement officers have always been called upon to use deadly force in the performance of their duties. Can at least a portion of these situations be identified and avoided before the deadly engagement? What training and policy recommendations should an agency adopt in an effort to both improve the probability of a satisfactory outcome and mitigate the potential liability associated with these occurrences? Issues concerning the preemptive training of law enforcement officers to help them identify and prevent incidence of people deliberately causing a situation which will result in them being shot by the police as a form of suicide are discussed in this article.

Honig, Audrey L. and Elizabeth K. White. "By Their Own Hand: Suicide Among Law Enforcement Personnel." The Police Chief (October 2000).
Abstract: Over 300 police officers committed suicide in 1998. Compare this number with the 174 line-of-duty deaths in the same year, and one can conclude that suicide surpasses accidents or felonious killing as a cause of police officer death. The numbers support the widespread belief that nearly twice as many police officers die by their own hand as are killed in the line of duty. But do police officers really have a higher than average suicide rate when compared to the general population? What, exactly, is the suicide rate among officers? And what factors contribute to police suicide? In 1998, the Psychological Services Section of the IACP formed a committee to examine the issue of police suicide and to recommend preventive measures. This article discusses the need to improve data gathering so that police departments may better address the problem of police suicide and the common research problems responsible for the inadequate understanding of the causes and rates of police suicide.

King, Keith A. "Developing a Comprehensive School Suicide Prevention Program." Journal of School Health (April 2001): p. 132(12). Notes: Available full-text on InfoTrac database
Abstract: Since the 1950s, the suicide rate for adolescents more than tripled, and suicide currently ranks as the third-leading cause of death among 15-24 year-olds. Comprehensive school suicide prevention programs include primary, second and tertiary prevention components. This article discusses these components as they relate to suicide prevention, and it provides practical steps for incorporating each component within a school system. All steps are based on a review of the professional literature, exploring the following three questions: What can school professionals do to help in preventing adolescent suicide? What should school professionals do when a student threatens suicide? And what should school professionals do after a student commits suicide?

Klinger, David A. "Suicidal Intent in Victim-Precipitated Homicide." Homicide Studies (August 2001): pp. 206-26. Notes: Also available full-text on Criminal Justice Periodical Index database
Abstract: Four decades ago, Marvin Wolfgang offered one of the most influential concepts in contemporary criminology when he coined the term "victim-precipitated homicide" to describe killings wherein decedents initiate the violent interactions that culminate in their death. One aspect of Wolfgang's work on victim-precipitated homicide that has not generated much attention among criminologists, however, is his notion that some of the individuals who precipitate their own violent deaths actually desire to die. Whereas criminologists have largely ignored Wolfgang's ideas about suicidal homicide victims, others have noted the presence of suicidal intent among victims of one specific sort of violence: police gunfire. For at least two decades, people in and around law enforcement have noted a phenomenon they commonly call "suicide by cop" police shootings where suicidal citizens purposely provoke officers to shoot them. The present article uses "suicide by cop" as a platform to demonstrate how attention to Wolfgang's ideas about suicidal victims can enhance understanding of interpersonal violence.

Lester, David. Why People Kill Themselves: A 2000 Summary of Research on Suicide. Springfield IL: Charles C. Thomas, 2000. Call Number: HV 6545 .L43 2000
Abstract: As an annotated review of virtually every suicide study published in the English language between 1990 and 1997, this volume culminates the author's study of 100 years of suicide research worldwide. It is a unique work, reaching beyond the approach of computerized services, to focus on abstracts and identify relevant articles in the fields of medicine, biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminal justice, and women's studies. The author's investigations in this widely researched area are logically categorized by topics that include inheritance, physiological factors, sex, childhood experiences, sociological theories, rate reliability and validity, sociological correlates, time variations, multivariate studies, meteorological correlates, social relationships, methodological issues, the suicidal act, epidemiology, methods of suicide, communication, psychiatric disorders, medical illnesses, suggestion, aggression, personalities and behaviors, suicidal behavior in other species, and theories of suicide.

Lord, Vivian B. "Law Enforcement-Assisted Suicide." Criminal Justice and Behavior (June 2000): pp. 401-19. Notes: Also available full-text on Criminal Justice Periodical Index database
Abstract: This study describes historical, personality, behavioral, and situational factors of law enforcement-assisted suicides, which are also known as "suicide by cop" subjects. These factors were then used to compare differences between subjects who successfully forced officers to shoot them and those subjects who were unsuccessful. "Suicide by cop" subjects appear to share several risk factors with other suicide victims. The study detected some differences in the characteristics of the subjects who were successful in forcing the officer to intervene with lethal force and those who were not. Substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, stressful life events, length of residency in the location of the incident, and homicidal conversations during the "suicide by cop" incident did have some influence on the outcome of the incident.

Lukas, Christopher and Henry M. Seiden. Silent Grief: Living in the Wake of Suicide. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1997. Call Number: HV 6548 .U5L85 1997
Abstract: This is a book about healing. More than 20 million Americans have lost a loved family member or friend to suicide. Many of these survivors have suffered severe medical or psychological problems as they have tried to understand what happened and to go on with their lives. The authors first send both emotional and practical messages to survivors: They are not alone in their pain, that there are countless people who share the survivor's feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and bewilderment, and that there are people who care. The second message is practical. Survivors should take steps to come to terms with their grief. Bringing the taboo subject of suicide out into the open allows survivors, their counselors and friends to understand and accept the past and look toward the future with new hope and compassion.

Medlicott, Diana. Surviving the Prison Place: Narratives of Suicidal Prisoners. Burlington VT: Ashgate, 2001. Call Number: HV 6545.6 .M43 2001
Abstract: Suicide in prison is a growing problem across the developed world. This books sets out to enlarge the understanding of the complexities of suicidal feelings and of the part played by some inalienable features of prison life. It does this by presenting and analyzing prisoners' accounts of their most intimate responses to the deprivations of prison, in particular, the stringent control and management of their personal time and space. These accounts show, in more graphic form than previous literature, the depth of suffering as well as the range of creative responses produced in prisoners through interaction with the prison environment. Prisoners themselves have enormous need for more humane and interactive management of the problem, and their accounts show clearly how prisoner expertise could be utilized in profoundly significant ways.

Miller, Mark J. "Tough Calls: Deciding When a Suicide Is Newsworthy and What Details to Include Are Among Journalism's More Sensitive Decisions." American Journalism Review (December 2002): p. 42(6). Notes: Available full-text on InfoTrac database
Abstract: Shortly before 10 am on August 22, a man jumped from the top of the New York Times' 15-story building in Times Square. Allen Myerson, 47, was a staffer at the paper, an assistant business and financial editor, and he landed on the roof of a parking garage next door. That's where police found him. Dead--an apparent suicide. The next day's obits ranged from a respectful one in the Times--to the New York Post's play-by-play of the moments before death and exposure of the victim's marital and financial difficulties. This article discusses the sensitivity of suicide coverage and the power that journalists wield in reporting it. Statistics show that details of a suicide that end up in a newspaper can easily help lead to imitation suicides. The article also debates the release of suicide notes to the public and provides tips to the media on reporting suicide.

Morin, Michelle. Handling Suicide Calls. South Daytona, FL: APCO Institute, 1997.
Call Number: HV 6546 .H26 1997
Abstract: This training-in-a-box series title is a self-contained, complete lesson plan for handling suicide calls, meant to be taught at in-service training in an agency. Training material encompasses an understanding of suicide and its cause, definite procedures for dealing with people in crisis, and an occasion to review specific agency policy. No special instructor certifications are needed and the presentation can be made by anyone with subject matter knowledge and the ability to speak in front of a groups. The topic can be presented in less than two hours.

Pinizzotto, Anthony J. and Edward F. Davis. "Suicide by Cop." Law and Order (December 1999): pp. 95-98. Notes: Also available full-text on Criminal Justice Periodical Index database
Abstract: Having reviewed over 30 incidents of suspected "suicide by cop," the authors have developed some basic similarities these cases share with one another, such as common methods of attracting officers to the fatal scene, the role of the dispatcher, officer behavior in responding to the scene and, finally, the impact of "suicide by cop" on the officer, the department, and the community.

Prado, C. G. and S. J. Taylor. Assisted Suicide: Theory and Practice in Elective Death. Amherst, NY: Humanity Books, 1999. Call Number: R 726 .P73 1999
Abstract: In the last several years, doctor-assisted suicide has supplanted abortion as the most difficult legal and medical issue. Recent court cases, notably Dr. Jack Kevorkian's conviction for second degree murder, have only inflamed the controversy. But many analysts now believe that, with the increased drain on medical resources and public funds posed by an aging population of "boomers," a far more widespread acceptance (and even legalization) of the practice is just around the corner. This book provides a comprehensive discussion of relevant moral and ethical concerns. As the authors point out, legalization is not the central issue, since doctor-assisted suicide is already taking place regardless of its illegality. Instead, the debate concerns acknowledging and sanctioning a current (albeit limited) practice, removing the criminal penalties, and framing the discussion in terms of the truly important questions: When does assisted suicide make good sense? When should it be permitted? What is the nature of patient consent? And what professional ethics should govern its provision? By examining the questions involved, the authors seek to forge a compromise between the demands of ethical theory and clinical practice.

Ritchie, Elspeth Cameron and Michael G. Gelles. "Psychological Autopsies: The Current Department of Defense Effort to Standardize Training and Quality Assurance." Journal of Forensic Sciences (November 2002): pp. 1370-1372.
Abstract: Psychological autopsies have been gathered by the US military for a long time, both for lessons learned after a known suicide and to investigate an equivocal death. The term "psychological autopsies" is now being restricted to define an investigation by mental health to help determine, in an equivocal death, if the manner of death is a homicide, suicide, an accident, or from natural causes. The Department of Defense has developed policy and is now implementing training and peer review. A sample model curriculum, report format and quality assurance standards are included in this article.

Robbins, Paul R. Adolescent Suicide. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1998. Call Number: HV 6546 .R6 1998
Abstract: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among United States adolescents, and the problem exists worldwide. Why do troubled teens seek this end to lives that have barely begun? This difficult question is the focus of the book. Who is at risk? Do adolescent suicide rates vary among different sexes or races? What is the relationship between suicide and problem behaviors? This book also addresses these questions. It offers a review of available therapies for suicidal adolescents and their families. It discusses "gatekeeper" training for school personnel and community leaders, and other prevention methods, including education, screening, and hotlines. Sadly, not all preventive measures are destined to succeed and the book ends with sensitive advice for the grieving survivors of suicide victims.

Sharpnack, James. "Suicide Prevention: It Takes A Community." Combat Edge (October 2001): p. 30(3). Notes: Available full-text on InfoTrac database
Abstract: Everyone experiences daily stress and major life events that can be difficult to handle. Yet, for some individuals, a lack of coping resources and/or not using effective stress management techniques can make it much more difficult to adjust to everyday stress and major stressors. This article lists symptoms related to depression, as well as signs that may be exhibited by people with suicidal thoughts. Knowing what to look for may prevent a suicide from occurring.

Sheehan, Donald C. and Janet I. Warren [eds.]. Suicide and Law Enforcement. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2001.
Call Number: J 1.14/2:S 84X
Abstract: The FBI's Behavioral Science Unit hosted a Suicide and Law Enforcement Conference in September 1999, at the FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia. The result of the conference was a compilation of articles incorporated into this book, which is a comprehensive look at suicide and its impact on law enforcement. Police officer suicide comprises the main focus of the book but other aspects of law enforcement-related suicide received attention as well. The book consists of 61 articles divided into six sections entitled: Organizational Approaches, Psychological Approaches, Behavioral Approaches, Quantitative Approaches, Alternate Approaches, and Suicide by Cop. This report is a collaborative effort drawing from the strengths of a cross-section of the leading experts on suicide. Contributing to the report were professionals in the disciplines of criminal justice, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, victim advocacy, and public health.

US Department of Health and Human Services. "National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action." 2001. [http://www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/SMAO1-3517/].
Abstract: Suicide exacts an enormous toll from the American people. Our Nation loses 30,000 lives to this tragedy each year, another 650,000 receive emergency care after attempting to take their own lives. The devastating trauma, loss, and suffering is multiplied in the lives of family members and friends. This document lays the foundation for our Nation's strategy to confront this serious health problem. It establishes 11 goals and 68 measurable objectives for the national effort to prevent suicide and suicide attempts and to reduce their harmful aftereffects on families and communities.

Violanti, John M. Police Suicide: Epidemic in Blue. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas , 1996. Call Number: HV 7936 .S77V56 1996
Abstract: This book provides an overview of police suicide and describes 18 cases that demonstrate common suicide risk factors such as psychological difficulties, alcohol abuse, stress, and problems in relationships. The analysis notes that suicide may be considered a potentially higher risk to police officers when compared to deaths from homicides and accidents and fatalities in other occupations. The review of precipitating factors that may be present in police suicide considers police occupational stress, particularly traumatic stress; the availability of firearms; the prevalent abuse of alcohol in the profession; and the difficulties involved in retiring from police work. The author proposes a new theory of police suicide, based on the role constriction that results from organizational and peer influences. The book also suggests ways to prevent police suicide through the provision of organizationally sponsored and confidential psychological services and training in suicide awareness. The multiple impacts of police suicide on survivors and the role of police support in reducing psychological distress among survivors are also explained.

Wertheimer, Alison. A Special Scar: The Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide, 2nd Ed. Philadelphia: Brunner-Routledge, 2001. Call Number: HV 6548 .G7W47 2001
Abstract: Every 85 minutes someone in the UK takes their own life, but what happens to those left behind? In a society where suicide is often viewed with fear or disapproval, it can be difficult for those personally affected by a suicide death to come to terms with their loss and seek help and support. This book looks in detail at the stigma surrounding suicide and offers practical help for survivors, relatives and friends of people who have taken their own lives. Fifty bereaved people tell their stories, showing us that, by not hiding the truth from themselves and others, they have been able to learn to live with the suicide, offering hope to others facing this traumatic loss.