bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Major Histocompatibility Antigen and Reproductive Performance
Authors: COULAM CAROLYN B. , MOORE S. BREANNDAN , O'FALLON WILLIAM M.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Many studies have both supported and refuted an association between HLA antigens and reproductive performance. To clarify these discrepant results, HLA antigens from 59 couples experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortions and 79 couples with unexplained infertility were compared with 51 fertile couples. Patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions were classified as either primary (no children) or secondary (abortions after having children or stillbirths) aborters, and patients with unexplained infertility were classified as primary (never pregnant) or secondary (previously pregnant) infertiles. The amount of antigenic disparity, homozygosity, and the probability of producing a heterozygotic offspring were analyzed for each group. Significantly more disparities at combined HLA loci and at DR loci were observed when childbearing controls were compared with primary aborters. Significant disparity between controls and secondary aborters was at the DQ locus. Total homozygosity as well as homozygosity at DR and DQ loci were significantly increased among primary aborters, but not secondary aborters, and at the B locus among secondary, but not primary infertile couples. Significant association in probability of heterozygote production was seen at the DQ locus in patients with primary infertility. These results indicate that controversy involving association of HLA and reproductive performance can be explained by properly classifying recurrent spontaneous aborters and unexplained infertiles.
Antigens of Human Trophoblast: Trophoblast‐Lymphocyte Cross‐Reactive Antigens on Platelets*
Authors: KAJINO TORU , FAULK W. PAGE , McINTYRE JOHN A.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Human and rabbit antibodies to trophoblast‐lymphocyte cross‐reactive (TLX) antigens were employed in an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify and characterize the TLX alloantigen system on human platelets. Neither washing nor extraction in chaotrope or acid altered platelet TLX. The antigen was significantly changed by pronase and trypsin digestion, but Folch extraction yielded antigen in the hydrophilic interface, suggesting carbohydrate. Rabbit antibodies prepared to HLA‐negative human syncytiotrophoblast TLX antigens were shown by platelet ELISA to have the same specificity and similar allotypy as anti‐TLX antibodies from secondary (2°) spontaneously aborting women. Patients with normal pregnancies before becoming 2° aborters had both IgG and IgM antibodies to TLX. Anti‐TLX in patients who never had a normal pregnancy were predominantly IgG. ELISA reactions performed with different concentrations of protein in the buffers detected anti‐TLX activity in buffers containing high protein concentrations. This has been observed in studies of blocking antibodies in graft‐versus‐host disease and immune responses to tumor cells. Platelet TLX offers a new genetic and immunological approach to study similarities of the host‐parasite relationships in pregnancy, transplantation, and cancer.
Antigen Expression by Cells Near the Maternal‐Fetal Interface
Authors: LESSIN DIANNA L. , HUNT JOAN S. , KING CHARLES R. , WOOD GARY W.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential for immunologic interaction between the mother and fetus by documenting 1) fetal and maternal cell histocompatibility antigen (HLA) expression and 2) populations of immunologically relevant cells near the maternal‐fetal interface through all stages of normal pregnancy. Mesenchymal cells in extraembryonic tissues demonstrated a gradual and progressive development of both class I and class II HLA, with class I expression preceding class II. Coordinated development of expression of two subclasses of class II HLA‐D, HLA‐DR and HLA‐DQ, by fetal mesenchymal cells was noted. In adjacent tissue, maternal decidual cells were strongly class I HLA positive; but in contrast to fetal cells, expression of HLA‐D subclasses was discoordinate. HLA‐DR was present throughout gestation but HLA‐DQ expression was detectable only in second and third trimester tissues. Immunologically relevant cells were present in both fetal and maternal tissues. The major leukocyte population and the major class II‐bearing cell type at the maternal‐fetal interface was of monocyte/macrophage lineage. T and B lymphocytes were present only in very low densities (1–3% of all cells), whereas at all stages of gestation, macrophages were present in high density in both the fetal mesenchyme (14–25%) and in maternal decidua (27–32%). Documentation of class I and class II HLA expression and the cell types available to participate in immunologic events at the maternal‐fetal interface may assist in understanding the immunologic basis of the maternal‐fetal relationship during successful pregnancy.
Immunoglobulin Class and Regional Specificity of Antispermatozoal Autoantibodies Blocking Cervical Mucus Penetration by Human Spermatozoa
Authors: CLARKE GARY N.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The immunoglobulin class and regional specificity of sperm antibodies was analyzed in relation to in vitro cervical mucus penetration using a capillary test. There was a highly significant (X2, P < 0.001) association of strong (≥ 95% sperm coated) immunobead test (IBT) results for sperm‐bound antibodies of IgA immunoglobulin class with poor (< 3.0 cm/2 h) mucus penetration. There was also a significant (P < 0.01) association between poor penetration and the presence of antibodies on the sperm tail mainpiece. In contrast, IgG class antibodies did not show any significant association with poor penetration. These results confirm and extend previous work and imply that development of a male antispermatozoal vaccine that inhibits mucus penetration must involve stimulation of local IgA response rather than systemic antibody levels.
Distribution of Trop 3 and 4 Antigens in Human Endometrial Glandular Epithelium
Authors: KHONG T.Y. , SOUBIRAN P. , HSI B.‐L.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The reactivities of three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), Trop 3, Trop 4, and W6/32, were studied on human uterine tissue by using an indirect immunoperoxidase method. Nonpregnant endometrial glandular epithelium was stained by all three MAbs. During pregnancy, Trop 3 expression was not detectable, but Trop 4 and W6/32 showed variable staining on the endometrial glandular epithelium, especially during late pregnancy. These findings support previous work suggesting a local regulation of antigenic expression by endometrial glandular epithelial cells.
Natural Cytotoxicity and Serum Blocking in Malignant Cervical Neoplasia
Authors: PILLAI M. RADHAKRISHNA , BALARAM PRABHA , ABRAHAM THOMAS , PADMANABHAN T.K. , NAIR M. KRISHNAN
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 100 patients with various stages and histological types of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were assayed for natural killer (NK) cell activity against K562 cells using the single cell cytotoxicity assay in agarose. The effect of autologous serum on NK cell activity and a quantitation of soluble antigen‐antibody complexes was also carried out. The cancer patients showed reduced NK activity compared with normal controls, the reduction increasing with tumor load. Another observation was that patients with poorly differentiated tumours showed lower levels of NK activity. Addition of autologous serum resulted in further depression of NK activity in all groups of patients. An increase in circulating immune complexes was also evident in all groups of patients. Here again increase in tumor load and poorly differentiated tumors showed the highest levels. The results point toward a possible disturbance in NK cell activity that could be further depressed by autologous serum factors.
Cell‐Mediated Immunity in Infertility
Authors: ANDERSON DEBORAH J. , HILL JOSEPH A.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: A role of cell‐mediated immunity in immunologic infertility is indicated by a number of animal immunization studies and by reported clinical associations between cellular immune responses and infertility. Furthermore, recent technical advances in the field of cellular immunology have enabled advanced studies on the cellular and soluble mediators of cell‐mediated immune responses and their interactions with reproductive processes. In this article we review some of the recent technical and conceptual advances in cellular immunology, the classic literature on cellular immune responses in infertility, and recent evidence that certain products of activated lymphocytes and macrophages significantly affect reproductive functions.
Active Immunization Against Gonadotropin‐Releasing Hormone Combined With Androgen Supplementation Is a Promising Antifertility Vaccine for Males
Authors: LADD A. , PRABHU G. , TSONG Y.‐Y. , PROBST T. , CHUNG W. , THAU R.B.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Male rats and rabbits were immunized against gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) conjugated to tetanus toxoid (GnRH‐TT) using only materials approved for humans. Testosterone (T)‐releasing implants or the long‐lasting T ester testosterone‐17‐trans‐4‐n‐butyl‐cyclohexane carboxylate (TE) was used as supplemental androgen for maintaining libido. Immunization against GnRH‐TT effectively suppressed fertility (spermatogenesis) in rats and rabbits. Neither T nor TE administration restored fertility. Both androgens were effective in maintaining normal libido in rats. TE, which is not hydrolyzed in rabbits, was less effective in maintaining normal ejaculatory behavior in this species. Active immunization against GnRH could be a convenient and cost‐effective method of fertility control in males.
Lack of Evidence for Complement‐Dependent Cytotoxic Antibodies to Fetal Paternally Derived Antigens in the Marsupial Macropus eugenii (Tammar Wallaby)
Authors: VAN OORSCHOT R.A.H. , COOPER D.W.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: A total of 241 serum samples from 145 parous tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) were screened for presence of antibodies to paternally derived antigens of the fetus. These samples were taken at different stages in late pregnancy after placental contact was intimate and after birth. Complement‐dependent cytotoxicity tests were unable to detect any specific antibodies. It is concluded that the yolk sac placenta of M. eugenii does not allow intimate enough contact between fetal tissues and the maternal circulation to induce formation of cytotoxic antibodies by its mother. This is in contrast to eutherian mammals, in which such production of cytotoxic antibodies occurs frequently as a result of pregnancy. Together with other data it is suggested that the short implantation period in M. eugenii, which is common to all marsupials, has probably not evolved to prevent maternal immune attack upon the conceptus.
Simple Radioimmunobinding Assay for Quantitation of Sperm Antibodies of IgG Immunoglobulin Class
Authors: CLARKE GARY N.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The immunobead test (IBT) is an excellent test for initial sperm antibody screening and evaluation but is impractical when used to quantitate antibody levels using a twofold dilution series. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop a relatively simple radioimmunobinding assay that would allow quantitation of sperm antibodies of IgG immunoglobulin class, which predominate in male sera. [125I]‐Protein G was chosen as the radioligand because it binds to all IgG subclasses, but not to IgA or IgM. The results of the investigation indicate that the [125I]‐protein G assay (PGA) allows efficient quantitation of sperm antibodies, as evidenced by a highly significant (P< .0001) correlation (Spearman's, Rs = 0.94) between the PGA results and IgG‐IBT titres.
New Frontiers in the Relationship between Suicidology and Law Enforcement
Authors: Danto Bruce L.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: This paper reviews some historic ties between crisis intervention and the beginning of suicidology. It reviews the author's involvement in suicidology and law enforcement, in terms of crisis intervention, management of the man with a gun, studies of suicide among police, bereavement of widows of slain police officers, jailer stress, psychological aspects of kidnapping, kidnappers, victim survival in kidnapping, hostage negotiation, and application of the psychological autopsy to homicide investigation. In addition, the development of a program to offer survivor counseling for those whose loved ones have been killed and for those whose loved ones were the killers is described. Other new areas for suicidology application are outlined in terms of survivors, industry, and school.
Clinical Observations of Play of Hospitalized Suicidal Children
Authors: Pfeffer Cynthia R.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: This paper emphasizes the usefulness of play observation for diagnosis, treatment, and understanding suicidal behavior of children. Predictive indicators of play for potential suicidal behavior are themes of separation and loss, repetition of dangerous and reckless behavior, misuse and destruction of toys, and repetitive acting out of omnipotent fantasies. The selection of a suicidal method is partly derived from unconsciouss motivations that are illustrated in play themes. This study revealed a characteristic suicidal technique of latency age children seems to be jumping from heights.
A Note on Suicidal Behaviors among Intimates
Authors: Rounsaville Bruce J. , Weissman Myrna M.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a breif report of four (of 62) cases in which a relative or intimate friend made a suicide attempt within a month of the significant other's suicide, usually using a similar method.
Mobilizing Schools for Suicide Prevention
Authors: Ross Charlotte P.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Experience in providing consultation and survivor counseling to school personnel following student suicides led to the development of a program of prevention through training school personnel. The goal of the program was to increase the ability of resource persons available to adolescents—teachers, counselors and school nurses—to recognize signs of suicidal depression and to respond effectively to suicidal students. This report describes that program, the reaction of the participants and the observations of the project staff, and comments on the feasibility of this approach as a means of helping to prevent suicide among adolescents.
Attempted Suicide: An Ethological Perspective
Authors: Goldney Robert D.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Attempted suicides are complex phenomena. Examination of the observed and described behavior permits an analogy to be drawn between them and the biological concept of “conservation withdrawal.” This takes cognizance of innate responses, individual differences and changing socio‐cultural standards. Such a formulation more readily allows a non‐judgmental approach to the patient, with acceptance of both the appeal and wish to die components. In addition, it offers a different view of the nosological debate, rendering the differences more apparent than real.
Suicidal Behavior: Toward an Explanation of Differences in Female and Male Rates
Authors: Wilson Michele
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:The explanation of sex differences is based on Breed's five “components of a basic suicide syndrome” which appears to be a satisfactory model for explaining male suicide. Thus far it has not been used to explain female suicidal behavior and sex differences in attempts. It appears that if sex differences are noted the model is adequate. This is because the same factors affect the sexes differently; the content and structure of the roles are different. Failure for males is obvious, but the female role is diffuse and lacking in standards for both success and failure. Female commitment to role and cultural goals is not less, just different and diffuse. Rigidity of roles varies but male goals are usually more specific. Shame, when men do blame themselves, is in the context of a narrow role. Contrary to popular belief, isolation of men is probably greater than that of women.
Suicide Among Minority Elderly: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: McIntosh John L. , Santos John F.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: In the United States, suicide has traditionally been considered a White elderly phenomenon. Suicide rates have been increasing for Nonwhites in recent years, but it is not clear how this may have affected the age distribution, particularly for specific Nonwhite groups. An investigation of official 1976 suicide statistics among minority elderly revealed that suicide rates are also highest among the old for Chinese‐, Japanese‐ and Filipino‐Americans. Among Blacks and Native Americans, however, suicide rates are extremely low for the aged. Explanations for these findings are suggested and the need for a long‐term study is indicated.
Some Common Characteristics of Latency‐Age Suicidal Children: A Tentative Model Based on Case Study Analyses
Authors: Orbach Israel , Gross Yiegal , Glaubman Hananya
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Eleven latency‐age (6 ½ to 12 ½) boys and girls who attempted or threatened suicide were investigated by means of the following information: intensive interviews, therapeutic meetings, direct observation in school, meetings with teachers, and survey of school records. The families of the children were also interviewed. In spite of the many differences between the children's personalities and backgrounds, some common dynamic features seemed to emerge: (a) There was a suicidal parent in the family, in most cases the mother; (b) Most of the families of these children were engaged in a major crisis, not necessarily centered around the suicidal child; (c) The children experienced demands by the parents to assume responsibilities which the children perceived as being beyond their capability; (d) There was a lack of satisfying relationships with adults; (e) Most children perceived death in a paradoxical way, believing that death was a need satisfying state yet fearing death; (f) The children showed strong positive strivings to say alive and were able to experience joy and happiness in spite of feelings of desperation and depression. A model based on the above multifaceted forces is presented. These forces consist of attractiveness of life, repulsiveness of life, attractiveness of death, and repulsiveness of death. Some of diagnostic and predictive uses of this model are elaborated.
Resistances Encountered in Starting a Group Therapy Program for Suicide Attempters in Varied Administrative Settings
Authors: Hackel Jacqueline , Asimos Chrisula T.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:This paper reports the predictable areas of difficulty—funding issues, management and personal bias issues, theoretical issues—which emerged in the development of five treatment groups composed entirely of depressed and suicidal patients. These groups represent a coordinated effort between the city/county mental health system and the authors' funding agencies. Effective strategies for overcoming these difficulties are discussed.
Near‐Death Experiences and Attempted Suicide
Authors: Greyson Bruce
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:Attempted suicide is correlated with an increase subsequent risk of committed suicide. However, preliminary data and psychodynamic hypotheses suggest that serious suicide attempts followed by transcendental near‐death experiences (NDEs) may decrease rather than increase subsequent overt suicide risk, despite the NDEs’ apparent “romanticization” of death. Studies of NDEs and of their influence on suicidal ideation are proposed which may yield greater understanding of self‐destructive urges and new strategies of suicide prevention.
Suicide of Japanese Youth
Authors: Iga Mamoru
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The uniquely intense stress due to the Examination Hell (shiken jigoku) not only generates a basic drive for Japan's economic success but also contributes to a high rate of young people's suicide. This paper discusses the major factors in the intensity of Japanese stress on both institutional and psychological levels. The social structural factors which convert stress to suicide are analyzed in terms of weak ego; restraint on aggression; a lack of social resources; and views of life, death and suicide. Japanese views of life, death and suicide are treated in terms of Absolute phenomenalism, the original form of Shintoism, to which Buddhism and Confucianism have been adjusted in Japan. Japanese phenomenalism affects suicide through its three aspects: animism, present‐time oriented small groupism, and the absolute acceptance of the established social order. Confusion and conflict since World War II have increased anomic suicides; however, elements of fatalistic suicide (due to excessive formal or informal social regulations) and altruistic suicide (due to strong social integration) are evident. Suicide is still a highly institutionalized adjustment mechanism in Japan.
Some Social and Psychological Factors Related to Suicide in Primitive Societies: A Cross‐Cultural Comparative Study
Authors: Smith David Horton , Hackathorn Linda
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Using a sample of primitive and peasant societies from the Human Relations Area Files, this paper examines some of the social and psychological factors related to suicide prevalence. Although the sample is small, the results are quite striking, and a multivariate analysis accounts for about 70 percent of the variance in suicide prevalence. In these data, suicide prevalence is quite consistently high where (a) the society involved is of the stable agricultural type (vs. hunting‐gathering type), (b) the society customarily expects either very restrained or very open expression of the emotions (vs. more moderate expression of the emotions), and (c) the society customarily places a great deal of importance on individual pride and shame (vs. little or no emphasis on such matters).
Suicide in Detroit 1975: Changes and Continuities
Authors: Stack Steven
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Data on 193 cases of suicide in Detroit are analyzed to assess changes and continuities in the etiology of suicide. A significant change in the correlates of suicide is a shift in the group with the highest rate of suicide from the elderly to the relatively young age cohorts. A tentative explanation for this new pattern is suggested in terms of youth culture and underemployment. Continuities in the traditional etiology of suicide included the findings that males, persons in manual occupations, whites, and immigrants had relatively high rates of suicide.
Suicide and the Standard of Care: Optimal vs. Acceptable
Authors: Berman Alan L. , Cohen‐Sandier Roni
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:The accepted standard of care in the treatment of suicidal patients is discussed from the perspectives of the law, malpractice insurance claims, the mental health professions, and the ideal. A review of decisions of professional liability in suits for wrongful death provides guidelines for what the court considers to be adequate care. Out of court settlements further connote accepted standards of reasonable care. Although attention to potential malpractice issues is necessary and appropriate, what appear to result are an acceptance of minimal standards and the practice of defensive care. It is argued that by demanding more optimal standards the consequent quality of care not only serves the patient best but provides the best legal protection as well.
Is Work Conducive to Self‐Destruction?
Authors: Karcher Charles J. , Linden Leonard L.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: While the current literature contains numerous studies and even more numerous assumptions linking aspects of the work setting, stress, and mortality; no systematic investigation has been made of possible patterns of stress‐induced self‐destructive behaviors among the work settings per se. This research paper attempts to help fill that gap by reporting on an analysis of data on industry, age and mortality rates for seven stress‐related causes of death (suicide, homocide, hypertensive heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, arteriosclerotic heart disease, ulcer of the stomach, and hypertension). Using available United States' mortality statistics, a consistent pattern is found for all of the stress‐related types of deaths by industry and age. A suggested explanation of this pattern is based on status integration theory.
Suicide by Industry and Occupation: A Structural‐Change Approach
Authors: Reinhart George R. , Linden Leonard L.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:Data on suicide rates for males age 20 to 64 by occupation and industry for 1950 are examined. Two hypotheses are tested: The first, a static hypothesis relating variations in suicide with the size of the group from which choice of significant others is made, was not supported. The second, in which variations in suicide are related to changes in the size of the group from which significant others are selected, is supported. The authors conclude that their structural change approach to suicide is compatible with both sociological and psychological approaches to suicide.
The Legacy Of Emile Durkheim
Authors: Selkin James
Published: December 2015

The development of the suicide prevention movement since the 1897 publication of Emile Dukheim's book Suicide is briefly traced. Durkheim's theory of suicide is outlined, and implications for contemporary suicide prevention efforts are identified and discussed. Future trends in the development of suicide prevention centers and in the national organization of suicidology are outlined.
On Precipitating Factors: Cancer as a Cause of Suicide
Authors: Marshall James R. , Burnett William , Brasure John
Published: December 2015

This case‐control study provides individual‐based data describing the impact of being a cancer patient on the odds of suicide. 5,009 suicides and 17,064 controls are compared. The data indicate that cancer patients are 50 to 100 percent more likely than nonpatients to commit suicide. This and other studies indicate that health status should be considered in future attempts to relate suicide to social environment.
The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment During the 1950s
Authors: Bailey William C.
Published: December 2015

This investigation examines the deterrence hypothesis of an inverse relationship between state execution rates and homicides. Although this question has received some attention in recent studies, the findings of these investigations are mixed. Cross‐sectional analyses of states have typically shown execution and homicide rates to be positively associated, while at least two national time‐series studies report support for the deterrence hypothesis.

To test whether these divergent findings are result of the two different methodologies employed (cross‐sectional vs. time‐series), a methodology that combines the strengths of each is used in the present study. For the period 1950 to 1960, we examine cross‐sectionally for states the relationship between changes in execution rates andd changes in murder rates. This analysis does not find support for the deterrence argument for the certainty of the death penalty when a number of models of the execution rate—murder rate relationship are considered, and when a variety of imprisonment and socio‐demographic factors are considered as control variables.
Homicide Followed by Suicide: Los Angeles, 1970–1979
Authors: Allen Nancy H.
Published: December 2015

A study of 104 homicide‐followed‐by‐suicide events in Los Angeles during 1970–1979 are reported and compared, in part, to the findings of D. J. West for Wales and England, 1954–1961. Variables discussed are age, ethnicity, sex distribution of both offenders and victims, relationship between them, methods by which victims were killed, alcohol content in victims and offenders, suicide notes, depression, and physical illness.
Psychological Autopsies in Court
Authors: Litman Robert E.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The crucial concept for defining suicide is intention. A major purpose of the psychological autopsy is to clarify the pre‐mortem intentions of the victim, now deceased. This article reports cases in which the issue of suicide vs. accident came to trial because insurance benefits were at issue. Currently, the courts, in considering to what extent mental disorders impair the capacity for intentional self destruction, evaluate each case independently according to its own unique set of facts.
Death Anxiety and Counseling Skill in the Suicide Interventionist
Authors: Neimeyer Robert A. , Neimeyer Greg J.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: In light of recent evidence that suicide intervention workers may experience greater fear of death than the general population, the present study examined the death anxiety of interventionists and its relation to skill in responding to suicidal clients. A sample of 109 suicide prevention workers from three independent crisis centers were administered the Death Anxiety Scale (Templer, 1970) and the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory (Neimeyer & MacInnes, 1981). Compared to 109 matched controls, the interventionists were found to have significantly lower death anxiety, thereby reversing the earlier finding. Moreover, no linear or curvilinear relationship between death anxiety and suicide counseling skill could be identified. Together, these results give some justification to the traditional neglect of death concern as a factor in screening or training crisis intervention personnel.
The Influence of Economic Business Cycles on United States Suicide Rates
Authors: Wasserman Ira M.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: A number of social science investigators have shown that a downturn in the economy leads to an increase in the suicide rate. However, the previous works on the subject are flawed by the fact that they employ years as their temporal unit of analysis. This time period is so large that it makes it difficult for investigators to precisely determine the length of the lag effect, while at the same time removing the autocorrelation effects. Also, although most works on suicide and the business cycle employ unemployment as a measure of a downturn in the business cycle, the average duration of unemployment represents a better measure for determining the social impact of an economic downturn. From 1947 to 1977 the average monthly duration of unemployment is statistically related to the suicide rate using multivariate time‐series analysis. From 1910 to 1939 the Ayres business index, a surrogate measure for movement in the business cycle, is statistically related to the monthly suicide rate. An examination of the findings confirms that in most cases a downturn in the economy causes an increase in the suicide rate.
A Cross‐Validation of Paulson's Discriminant Function‐Derived Scales for Identifying “At Risk” Child‐Abusive Parents
Authors: Beal Don , Melowski Fred , Hamilton Amy
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Paulson, Afifi, Chaleff, Liu, & Thomason (1975) developed a series of special subscales from the MMPI for identifying individuals who are at risk for child‐abusive behavior. The initial results were highly encouraging, with the scales correctly identifying 93 to 100% of the subjects in their sample. Unfortunately, Paulson et al. (1975) failed to cross‐validate their findings before publication. When the six scales were cross‐validated on an independent sample from the population of child‐abusing parents, significant shrinkage in the accuracy of prediction was found. The use of the special subscales for identifying “at risk” parents in prenatal clinics, pediatric clinics, pediatric clinics and mental health centers as originally suggestd by Paulson and his colleagues is seriously questioned.
Observable and Subjective Factors Associated with Attempted Suicide in Later Life
Authors: Lyons Michael J.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT:This paper presents the results of a case‐control study of the relationship of socio‐economic status (SES), relational system, service availability, perceived quality of life, and affective balance to attempted suicide. Subjects were white suicide attempters (N734) and controls (N= 118) age 50 and above. Discriminant function analysis indicated that lower SES, less help available in a crisis, belonging to fewer organizations, and greater availability of services from a community mental health center were associated with classification as an attempter. Also, more negative emotions, fewer positive emotions, and dissatisfaction with oneself and one's finances predicted membership in the attempter group. The role of these factors as risk factors for and consequences of a suicide attempt is discussed.
The Significance of Nico Speijer's Suicide: How and When Should Suicide Be Prevented?
Authors: Diekstra René F. W.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: On the morning of September 29, 1981, while attending a meeting of the World Health Organization on suicide, held in Athens, I was suddenly called out of the meeting room. The reason was a telephone call from the Ministry of Health in my country, The Netherlands, announcing that my mentor and friend Professor Nico Speijer had died the night before. He and his wife had put an end to their lives. Apart from my personal feelings, Nico Speijer's way of death touched profoundly upon all of us present at the meeting. Speijer was the grand old man of suicidology in the Netherlands, and, more, he was an outstanding member, even an honorary member, of the International Association for Suicide Prevention. From the birth of this organization in 1960 on, he had been an active and colorful participant in practically all of its meetings.

As can be expected in the case of a man of Speijer's status and reputation, his suicide evoked reactions nationwide. The leading newspapers and even the national TV networks made extensive mention of it. Though people's comments on the event were quite diverse, the underlying tone was generally one of understanding and sympathy. At the time of his death Speijer had been very ill with intestinal cancer and had been in great pain. His wife, herself disabled, had preferred to die with him rather than to be left behind.

When I returned home from Athens, among the waiting mail, there was a letter written to me in the handwriting that had become so familiar over the previous 10 years. Reading the letter, knowing that he had written it just a few hours before he died, and identifying myself with what he must have felt at that moment, I felt an almost unbearable emotional pain. For the first time I fully realized what it means to be a survivor.
The Recurrent Self‐Harm Patient
Authors: Barnes Rosemary A.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: A semistructured interview was used to collect information on a consecutive series of 163 self‐harm patients (suicide attempters); 65.8% of the patients had a history of previous self‐harm (repeaters). Male repeaters were more likely than men with no self‐harm history (first cases) to have left school before ninth grade, to have alcohol abuse problems, and to have family stress. Female repeaters were younger than first cases and reported more difficulties with sexual adjustment and loneliness. Repeaters were more likely to have contacted distress centers and to have had previous mental health contact, including psychiatric hospitalization. A 6‐month follow‐up indicated four suicides in the repeaters' group and none in the first cases' group. Repeaters appear to be much more dependent than first cases on professional care and to present a high short‐term risk for suicide.
Public Approval of Suicide: A Situational Analysis
Authors: Krishna Singh B. , Sherwood Williams J. , Ryther Brenda J.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Using four national surveys conducted in 1977, 1978, 1982, and 1983, this study examined public opinions on suicide in four situations: incurable disease, bankruptcy, family dishonor, and being tired of living. The results indicated that suicide in case of incurable disease was approved by slightly less than 43%, being tired of living by about 13%, and the other two situations by 7%. It was found that respondents with attributes of higher education, lower religiosity, and higher commitment to freedom of expression were more likely to consider suicide as acceptable. Future implications for research suggest not only an assessment of attitudes toward suicide in different situational contexts, but also assessment of individual intentions for the situations considered in this study.
Before and After Suicide: A Preventive Outreach Program for Colleges
Authors: Boyd Webb Nancy
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Based on a literature review and a survey of existing programs, this preventive outreach program emphasizes staff training in order to prepare college staff to implement a variety of outreach efforts following the suicide attempt or death of a student on campus. Specific guidelines are offered for the management of the suicide crisis, with special attention focused on the friends of the suicide victim.
Sex Differences in Peer Responsiveness to Suicide Ideation
Authors: Wellman Mary M. , Wellman Robert J.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Two surveys assessing attitudes toward and beliefs about suicide were conducted with undergraduates. There were 473 participants in Survey I and 692 participants in Survey II. Sex differences were found in participants' receptivity to suicidal individuals, beliefs about the behavior of suicidal peers, attitudes concerning the worth of suicidal people, incidence of adolescent suicide, and morality of suicide. There was no sex difference in participants' own frequency or seriousness of suicide ideation or suicide attempts. Results are discussed in terms of hypotheses concerning traditional socialization of males and females, resulting in sex‐role differentiation that may influence attitudes toward and beliefs about suicide.
The Relation of Delusional Content in Psychotic Depression to Life‐Threatening Behavior
Authors: Miller Frank , Chabrier Linda Ann
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: A retrospective analysis of all medically serious suicide attempts made by 45 patients hospitalized consecutively at the Payne Whitney Clinic with the DSM‐III discharge diagnosis of Unipolar Major Depression, Recurrent, With Psychotic Features was undertaken. Patients with delusions of bodily disease, damage, and malfunction were significantly less likely to make medically serious suicide attempts than patients with delusions of sinfulness, guilt, deserved punishment, or persecution.
Toward a Predictive Model of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior: Some Preliminary Data in College Students
Authors: Bonner Ronald L. , Rich Alexander R.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: Within a multivariate statistical design, the relationship of various interpersonal, emotional, and cognitive variables to suicidal ideation and behavior in college students was examined. A total of 158 subjects (58 males, 100 females) completed self‐report measures of life stress, faulty cognitions, loneliness, depression, hopelessness, family cohesiveness, adaptive reasons for living, and suicidal ideation and behavior. The results of a multiple‐regression analysis, forward‐inclusion algorithm, indicated that a predictive equation consisting of loneliness, irrational beliefs, and low adaptive reasons for living best accounted for suicidal behavior scores. To determine the basic structures and power of the predictor variables under study, a factor analysis and composite regression were employed, resulting in a predictive equation consisting of three factors: Social/Emotional Alienation, Cognitive Distortions, and Deficient Adaptive Resources. Results are discussed in terms of an interactional model of suicidal behavior.
Helpline: Suicide Prevention at a Suicide Site
Authors: Glatt Kenneth M.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: In an effort to reduce the number of suicides from the Mid‐Hutson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, New York, the Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene and the New York State Bridge Authority jointly established a suicide prevention phone on the bridge, which is directly connected to a 24‐hour psychiatric emergency service. This program is the first known one in which a dedicated suicide prevention helpline has been installed at a site of known suicides and linked with a mental health service. After 2 years of operation, the phone has been used 30 times; the data suggest that most would‐be jumpers are ambivalent enough about dying that they will reach out for help/contact if the opportunity exists, and, as a consequence, can be saved.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Suicide Prevention Programs: A Methodological Perspective
Authors: Streiner David L. , Adam Kenneth S.
Published: December 2015

Abstract Many studies that attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programs for suicidal patients are methodologically deficient in one or more areas. This paper outlines six criteria that should be met in designing such investigations: (1) Patients should be randomly assigned to groups; (2) at least 80% of the subjects who were initially enrolled should be followed up; (3) the results should be both statistically significant and clinically important; (4) all clinically relevant outcomes should be reported; (5) the patients must be adequately described; and (6) the new intervention should be feasible in other settings. It is shown that these criteria are both necessary and achievable.
Cheap Thrills and Humble Pie: The Adolescence of Female Suicide Attempters
Authors: Stephens B. Joyce
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe characteristic social and psychological patterns of the adolescence of females who become suicide attempters during adulthood. To accomplish this retrospective study, life histories of 50 adult female suicide attempters were obtained; these were supplemented by a content analysis of personal documents written by the subjects during their adolescence. Two disparate social and psychological patterns were identified: “Cheap Thrills” and “Humble Pie.” Cheap Thrills was a pattern of defiance, rebelliousness, acting‐out behaviors, drug involvement, and indiscriminate sexuality. Humble Pie was in polar contrast and involved overconformity, docility, passivity, and emotional submergence. The significance of these findings lies in the identification of the second pattern, Humble Pie; this pattern is a stark contrast to the prevalent image in the suicide literature. More generally, the present study may contribute to an understanding of the long‐term and processual nature of the suicidal careers of females.
Suicide in the U.S. Army: Epidemiological and Periodic Aspects
Authors: Rothberg Joseph M. , Jones Franklin D.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: An overview of suicide in the U.S. Army is presented in two sections: (1) the epidemiology of U.S. Army suicides, based on biennium reports, and (2) the temporal aspects of those suicides compared with the data for the United States as a whole. A brief historical review documents some of the changes in contemporary military suicide rates compared to those of the past century. The cycles in the number of suicides by day of the week, day of the month, and the month of the year for the U.S. Army are computed and contrasted with those reported for the U.S. resident population.
Research Note Gun Control, Gun Ownership, and Suicide Prevention
Authors: Lester David
Published: December 2015

The relationship of the extent of gun ownership and the strictness of gun control laws to suicide and homicide rates in the nine major geographic regions of the United States was explored. Gun ownership, rather than the strictness of gun control laws, was found to be the strongest correlate of the rates of suicide and homicide by guns. Regions with a higher extent of gun ownership had higher rates of suicide and homicide by firearms.
Miscounting Suicides
Authors: Kleck Gary
Published: December 2015

A review of research on the classification and counting of deaths reveals little hard evidence supporting claims that suicides are seriously underreported in the United States. The literature contains hints that much of what underreporting does occur is counterbalanced by “overcounting” (i.e., erroneous certifications of false suicides). An analysis of detailed cause‐of‐death mortality data for the United States indicates that the maximum likely undercount possible, using generous assumptions concerning misclassification frequency and leaving aside the issue of overcounts, was about 26% for 1980. The maximum likely net undercount, taking compensating overcounts into account, is estimated to be under 10%.
Classification of Suicidal Behavior: A Review and Step toward Integration
Authors: Ellis Thomas E.
Published: December 2015

The many forms of suicidal phenomena, including contemplated, attempted, and completed suicide, present significant problems to both researchers and practitioners. Although many attempts have been made to develop categories, agreement among the proposed systems has been more the exception than the rule. This article reviews theoretical and empirical efforts to define types of suicidal individuals and attempts to integrate them by means of higher‐order categories of variables. These categories or “dimensions” are as follows: (1) descriptive, (2) situational, (3) psychological/behavioral, and (4) teleological. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Suicidal Persons and Their Partners: Individual and Interpersonal Dynamics
Authors: Canetto Silvia S. , Feldman Larry B. , Lupei Roger L.
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT: The individual and interpersonal dynamics of 21 suicidal persons (15 females and 6 males) and their partners were investigated. Each couple was interviewed at the time of the suicidal person's psychiatric hospitalization following a recent episode of suicidal behavior or serious suicidal ideation. Each partner was administered two tests of individual functioning and one test of interpersonal functioning. The results revealed that the dynamics of these couples were characterized by complementarity at the level of overt individual functioning, and similarity at the level of covert individual functioning. Both partners in a couple tended to describe the suicidal partner as psychologically disabled and the nonsuicidal partner as well‐functioning. However, the suicidal patients and their partners were similar in terms of covert individual functioning both showing a tendency toward anaclitic, dependent object relations. The communication between the partners was found to be disturbed in a large majority of the couples. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of an integrative model of individual and interpersonal dynamics.
Suppression ofBactrocera oleae(Diptera: Tephritidae) pupae by soil arthropods in the olive grove
Authors: Dinis A. M. , Pereira J. A. , Pimenta M. C. , Oliveira J. , Benhadi‐Marín J. , Santos S. A. P.
Published: December 2015

Soil arthropods can provide ecosystem services, such as biological control of crop pests that spend part of their life cycle in the soil. This is the case ofBactrocera oleae(Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the most important pests of olives. The impact of edaphic arthropods on the abundance ofB. oleaepupae was evaluated and their contribution for biological control of the pest was quantified. Exclusion and exposed boxes withB. oleaepupae were installed in olive groves in parallel with pitfall traps used for sampling arthropods and the percentage of pupae suppression was evaluated from January to May 2014. Forficulidae dominated the community during the winter period while Formicidae dominated in spring. Pupae suppression reached the maximum value in the beginning of spring and these results indicate that soil arthropods have strong impact in the decline ofB. oleaepupae in olive groves.