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Samaritan Contact Among 325 Parasuicide Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Steven Greer  and
Marion Anderson
Steven Greer
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS
Marion Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS
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Summary

With the aim of aiding primary prevention of parasuicide by Samaritans, a study of 325 parasuicide patients admitted to hospital was undertaken to discover the extent of knowledge about Samaritans, the proportion of patients who had contacted Samaritans and the reasons why the remainder had not done so. Ignorance about Samaritans was found in 28 per cent, such ignorance being significantly more common among teenagers than in other age groups. Only 1.4 per cent had sought help from Samaritans immediately before the present parasuicidal act, though a further 13 per cent had contacted Samaritans previously. Suggestions are made for future public education programmes about Samaritans.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 135 , Issue 3 , September 1979 , pp. 263 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

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