Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (24)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GOULD, M. S
Right arrow Articles by WALLENSTEIN, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by GOULD, M. S
Right arrow Articles by WALLENSTEIN, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1994 Oxford University Press

other

Clustering of Attempted Suicide: New Zealand National Data

MADELYN S GOULD*,**,{dagger},, KEITH PETRIE{ddagger}, MARJORIE H KLEINMAN{dagger} and SYLVAN WALLENSTEIN§

* Department of Psychiatry Columbia University New York, NY, USA
** School of Public Health, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
{dagger} New York State Psychiatric Institute NY, USA
{ddagger} Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, Auckland University Medical School New Zealand
§ Department of Biomathematical Sciences, Mt Sinai Medical School

Reprint requests to: Dr Gould, Division of Child Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA

BACKGROUND: The extent to which clusters of attempted suicides occur is a significant problem that is complementary to the current available research on the clustering of completed suicide. However, little systematic research on clusters of attempted suicides exists. The present study examines the extent and nature of clustering of suicide attempts.

METHOD: The occurrence of clustering of attempted suicide was examined in nationwide data for all New Zealand hospitals, obtained from the New Zealand Health Statistics Services for the years 1988–1990. The Scan statistic and Knox procedure were employed for testing the significance of clusters in time and time-space, respectively.

RESULTS: The analyses indicated that significant time clustering occurred in younger age groups, specifically among 15–19 and 20–24 year olds. The results could not be accounted for by seasonal variations in admissions. Age specificity of time-space clusters emerged, exhibiting a similar pattern to that reported for completed suicides in the US.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a similar underlying mechanism for the clustering of parasuicide and completed suicides and provide support for the existence of contagion of suicidal behaviour. The implications for prevention are discussed.

Received 1 March 1994


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
A. T A Cheng, K. Hawton, C. T C Lee, and T. H H Chen
The influence of media reporting of the suicide of a celebrity on suicide rates: a population-based study
Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2007; 36(6): 1229 - 1234.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Public HealthHome page
K. R. Conner, M. R. Phillips, and S. C. Meldrum
Predictors of Low-Intent and High-Intent Suicide Attempts in Rural China
Am J Public Health, October 1, 2007; 97(10): 1842 - 1846.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 American Behavioral ScientistHome page
M. Gould, P. Jamieson, and D. Romer
Media Contagion and Suicide Among the Young
American Behavioral Scientist, May 1, 2003; 46(9): 1269 - 1284.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
J. J. Mann
A Current Perspective of Suicide and Attempted Suicide
Ann Intern Med, February 19, 2002; 136(4): 302 - 311.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.