Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:24:07.441Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Suicide and Parasuicide Among Further Education Students in Edinburgh

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

S. D. Platt*
Affiliation:
MRC Unit for Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry, University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Momingside Park, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, Scotland

Abstract

During the period 1979–1982 the incidence of suicide and parasuicide for students aged 15–24 years was found to be lower than that of others of the same age in Edinburgh. A comparison of student parasuicides with matched non-student parasuicides shows similar parasuicide repetition rates, but some differences in respect of precipitants (twice as many students reporting no major event prior to the episode), agent of poisoning (analgesics more commonly used by students; hypnotics, tranquillisers and barbiturates, by controls), and social and clinical characteristics (a greater proportion of controls reporting parasuicide in the family, a criminal record and being the victim of violence).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bernard, J. L. & Bernard, M. L. (1982) Factors related to suicidal behavior among college students and the impact of institutional response. Journal of College Student Personnel, 23, 409413.Google Scholar
Buolass, D. (1976) The relation of social class to the characteristics and treatment of parasuidde. Social Psychiatry, 11, 107119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carpenter, R. O. (1939) Statistical analysis of suicide and other mortality rates of students. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine, 13, 163174.Google Scholar
Hawton, K., Crowle, J., Simkin, S. & Bancroft, J. (1978) Attempted suicide and suicide among Oxford University students. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 506509.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holding, T. A. & Barraclough, B. M. (1978) Undetermined deaths - suicide or accident? British Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 542549.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holding, T. A., Buolass, D., Duffy, J. C. & Kreitman, N. (1977) Parasuidde in Edinburgh - a seven year review 1968–74. British Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 534543.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, P. & Kreitman, N. (1973) An epidemiological survey of parasuidde (‘attempted suicide’) in general practice. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 2334.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kerfoot, M. (1979) Self-poisoning by children and adolescents. Social Work Today, 10 (45), 911.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N., (ed.) (1977) Parasuidde. London: Wiley.Google Scholar
Lumsden Walker, W. (1980) Intentional self-injury in school age children. Journal of Adolescence, 3, 217228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClure, G. M. (1984) Recent trends in suidde among the young. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 134138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matthew, H., Proudfoot, A. T., Brown, S. S. & Aitken, R. C. B. (1969) Acute poisoning: organization and work-load of a treatment centre. British Medical Journal, 3, 489493.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parnell, R. W. (1951) Mortality and prolonged illness among Oxford undergraduates. Lancet, 1, 731733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rook, A. (1959) Student suiddes. British Medical Journal, i, 599603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwartz, A. J. & Reifuer, C. B. (1980) Suidde among American college and university students from 1970–71 through 1975–76. Journal of the American College Health Association, 28, 205210.Google ScholarPubMed
Siegel, S. (1956) Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. London: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.