Citation

Fischer EP, Comstock GW, Monk MA, Sencer DJ. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1993; 23(2): 91-100.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205-7199.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8342216

Abstract

Approximately 30% of suicides in New York City are the result of jumping from a height. After describing jumping suicides and jumping sites, we used polychotomous logistic regression to compare the characteristics of suicides by jumping to those of individuals committing suicide by hanging, ingestion, or shooting. Method used was significantly associated with sociodemographics, occupation, and mental health status, even after adjustment for individual access to the means of committing suicide. Our finding of an independent association between personal characteristics and method used provides strong evidence for the hypothesis that controlling access to an agent of suicide can influence overall suicide rates, at least in the short term. Study results support the introduction of preventive programs to control access to commonly employed agents of suicide.