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Biomedical subjects

M Nowers

Publications and source records attributed to M Nowers.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Suicide by jumping.

This review summarizes the published literature on suicide by jumping, in particular focusing on the social and psychological characteristics of people who have chosen this method of suicide, and the opportunities for prevention. Suicide by jumping accounts for 5% of suicides in England and Wales, and there are marked variations in the use of this method world-wide. A number of locations have gained notoriety as popular places from which to jump. Such sites include The Golden Gate Bridge and Niagara Falls in the USA, and Beachy Head and the Clifton Suspension Bridge in the UK. There is no consistent evidence that those who commit suicide by jumping differ sociodemographically or in their psychopathology from those who use other methods of suicide, although this method is more often used for in-patient suicides, possibly due to lack of access to other means. Survivors of suicidal jumps experience higher subsequent rates of suicide and mental ill health, but the majority do not go on to kill themselves, suggesting that preventive efforts may be worthwhile. This view is supported by other evidence that restricting access to the means of suicide may prevent some would-be suicides. Such measures may also reduce the emotional trauma suffered by those who witness these acts. Health authorities and coroners should consider reviewing local patterns of suicide by jumping, and if necessary institute preventive measures.

Architectural Accessibility↗
PubMed1996

Suicide from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in England.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the epidemiology of suicide by jumping from the Clifton Suspension Bridge and its impact on local patterns of suicide. DESIGN: Case-control study of falls from the bridge (1974-93) matched by age and sex with those using other methods of suicide. Routine OPCS mortality statistics for Bristol and District Health Authority. SETTING: The County of Avon and the Bristol and District Health Authority. SUBJECTS: 1. Individuals given coroners' verdicts of suicide, "open", or misadventure after falls from the suspension bridge and 127 matched control suicides using other methods. 2. All deaths from suicide within the Bristol and District Health Authority 1982-91. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Past psychiatric history, demographic characteristics of suicides, and proximity of place of residence to the bridge. RESULTS: There were 127 falls from the Clifton Suspension Bridge between 1974 and 1993. The mean age was 35.4 years for males (n = 93) and 35.5 for females (n = 34). Those who committed suicide by jumping were no more likely to have psychiatric histories than controls (95% CI of difference--1.17%, 23.2%) and were no more likely to have been psychiatric inpatients in the past (95% CI of difference--10.2%, 13.3%). Mean distance of residence from the bridge differed little between jumping suicides and controls (difference 1.7 km 95% CI 0.5, 3.9 km). Altogether 10.2% of jumpers had a past history of schizophrenia. Suicide by jumping is significantly more common in the Bristol and District Health Authority (9.3% of all suicides; 95% CI 7.6%, 11.3%) than in England and Wales (4.9% of suicides). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of suicide in the Bristol and District Health Authority are affected by the presence of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Those who commit suicide by jumping from the bridge do not differ significantly from those using other methods of suicide. Provision of safety measures on the bridge may lead to the prevention of some suicides.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Gunshot suicide in the County of Avon, England.

A study of 51 consecutive gunshot suicides in the County of Avon, England, between 1974 and 1990 is presented. All cases were male. The majority were married and lived with their spouses. Most suicides occurred in the setting of a domestic dispute, although at least nine had a significant past psychiatric history. Possible implications of firearm legislation and psychiatric treatment on firearm suicide rates are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Screening for psychiatric illness in the elderly.

Regular screening of the elderly is becoming an integral part of primary health care. A screening clinic for the early identification of mental health problems in the elderly is discussed here, paying particular attention to the use of practical and simple screening tools and the importance of cooperation between primary care and hospital services.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

An elderly patient with recurrent falls.

Many elderly patients have conditions which may not merit hospital admission but leave them in danger at home. The situation becomes more difficult if they refuse alternative accommodation and there is no family support.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1988

Trends in the reported rates of suicide by self-poisoning in the elderly.

Trends in the reported rates of suicide by self-poisoning in the elderly from 1974 to 1984 are presented. When all drugs were considered together there was evidence of a slow but progressive decline in age specific rates of suicide in both sexes over the period studied. When individual drugs were considered, however, the overall fall was attributable almost exclusively to a fall in suicides using barbiturates, which reflected the decrease in barbiturate prescribing over this time. Suicides using other drugs, particularly benzodiazepines and analgesics for mild to moderate pain, increased, particularly among elderly women, with coproxamol showing the biggest increase over the period studied. In many cases deaths were the result of multiple drug ingestion. Implications for the management of the elderly at risk are discussed in the context of the difficulties in identifying depressive illness in the elderly and the general rise in the elderly population.

Adolescent↗