Interventions to reduce suicides at suicide hotspots: a systematic review

BMC Public Health

Jane Pirkis³  Yee Tak Derek Cheung³  Michelle Williamson³  Anne Lockley³  Angela Nicholas³  Jo Robinson¹  Christabel Owens²  Georgina R Cox¹ 

[1] Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK;Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

关键词: Intervention;    Suicide prevention;    Suicide hotspots;   

Others  :  1162465
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-13-214

 received in 2012-11-01, accepted in 2013-02-27,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

‘Suicide hotspots’ include tall structures (for example, bridges and cliffs), railway tracks, and isolated locations (for example, rural car parks) which offer direct means for suicide or seclusion that prevents intervention.

Methods

We searched Medline for studies that could inform the following question: ‘What interventions are available to reduce suicides at hotspots, and are they effective?’

Results

There are four main approaches: (a) restricting access to means (through installation of physical barriers); (b) encouraging help-seeking (by placement of signs and telephones); (c) increasing the likelihood of intervention by a third party (through surveillance and staff training); and (d) encouraging responsible media reporting of suicide (through guidelines for journalists). There is relatively strong evidence that reducing access to means can avert suicides at hotspots without substitution effects. The evidence is weaker for the other approaches, although they show promise.

Conclusions

More well-designed intervention studies are needed to strengthen this evidence base.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Cox et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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