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| Unit.D.4.6.
Suicide/Self Harm Assessment/Treatment |
[Unit.B.4.6.]
[Unit.D.4.6.]
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Australia |
focus
points
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Insert forensic
focus points here
Canada |
focus
points
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Lindsay Hayes, Project Director of NCIA and an expert
in jail suicide prevention - lists some explanations
for the higher rates of suicide in jail and prevention
measures.
"Explanations
for higher suicide rate of suicide in jail:
- "Recent
excessive drinking and/or use of drugs
- Recent
loss of stabilizing resources
- Severe
guilt or shame over the alleged offense
- Current
mental illness
- Poor
physical health or terminal illness
- Prior
suicide attempt
- Approaching
an emotional breaking point"
(Hayes, 1992).
"Prevention
- successful suicide prevention strategies include:
- Intervention
of trained staff
- Implementation
of a written suicide prevention program
- More
common sense
- Essential
Components include:
(1) Regular staff training
(2) Screening procedures for all admissions
(3) Communication procedures
(4) Suicide resistant housing
(5) Procedures that avoid isolation
(6) Supervision procedures or frequency and duration
of staff monitoring
(7) Reporting procedures
(8) Follow -up review procedures"
(Hayes, 1992)
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International |
focus
points
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focus points here
United Kingdom |
focus
points
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"On New Years Day, a now infamous Gloucestershire
citizen, Mr. Fred West, charged with murdering 12
females, including members of his own family, was
discovered hangingin his cell at HM Prison, Birmingham,
where he was a remand prisoner" (Burrow, 1995,
p. 215).
"Suicidal
behaviours may be precipitated by a prisoner's youthfulness,
particularly whenchronically idle and with no long
term plans, poor relationships with other peers, anxieties
about family members and waiting for and receiving
visits" (Liebling, 1991; cited in Burrow, 1995,
p. 217).
"A primary goal of this study of self-inflicted
deaths in prisons in England and Wales from 1988-1996
was to further inform researchers, policy makers and
practitioners about some of the characteristics of
those who have completed suicide in prisons"
(Towl, 1999,
p. 28).
"Overall
there has been a significant increase in the numbers
and rates of suicide in prison over the past decade"
(Crighton & Towl, 1997; Towl & Crighton, 1998;
Towl, 1999, p. 28).
"In
this study of 450 self-inflicted deaths in prison
a number of these emerge
- First,
important definitional issues in the study of suicide·
- Second,
an observation of the inverse relationship between
risk of suicide and time spent
at the individual prison institution.
- Third,
that significant age group difference in suicide
rates are not distinguishablein prison
- Fourth,
that the factors associated with an increased or
decreased risk of suicide are not often dynamic
at a social, institutional or individual level"
(Towl, 1999, p. 28).
"10%
of those that completed suicide did so within 24 hours
arrival" (Towl, 1999, p. 32).
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United States |
focus
points
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"Rates of suicide deaths may be higher in jails.
The early hours of detention presents a great risk
of suicide, however it does not seem to be associated
with particular temporalevents in long term ncarceration"(Salive,
Smith & Brewer, 1989; cited in (Thorburn, 1995,p.
563).
"Death
from suicide in correctional settings should be preventable.
A comprehensive program of suicide prevention requires
procedures for identifying suicide potential, training,
notification and referral capabilities, protective
and safe environments monitoring plans and techniques
to intervene in a suicide in progress" (Thorburn,
1995, p. 563).
"Hanging
is the most prevalent method of completed suicide
in the correctional setting" (Thorburn, 1995,
p. 563).
Risk: Winkler,
1992 notes "three unique high risk elements for
inmates, additional to suicidal risk factors (e. g.
past history of suicidal behaviour)
- Intoxication
- Isolation
- And
the initial 24 hours of incarceration (Winkler,
1992).
"Other
risk factors noted in the literature include:
- Acute
psychiatric symptoms
- Shame
about arrest
- Serious
personal problems
- Sentencing
changes and complications
- Loss
or termination of a relationship"
(Cox, et al 1990).
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Focus Points
Reference
| Burrow,
S. (1995). Suicide: The crisis in the prison |
service.
British Journal of Nursing, 4(4), 215-218.
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| Dear, G.
E. (2000). Functional and dysfunctional |
impulsivity,
depression, and suicidal ideation in a prison population.
Journal of Psychology, 134(1), 77-80. Retrieved
December 16, 2002, from Academic Search Premier
database:
http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=2746915&db=aph
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| Schramm,
C.A. (1991). Forensic medicine: What the |
perioperative
nurse needs to know? AORN American Operating
Nurses Journal, 53(3), 669-692.
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| Hayes, L.
M. (1992). Jail suicide: An overview of . |
yesterday
Crisis, 13(1), 11-13.
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| Towl,
G. J. (1999). Self-inflicted deaths in prisons in |
England
and Wales from 1988-1996.The British Journal
of Forensic Practice, 1(2), 28-33.
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of Page
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Topic
D - Forensic Corrections > Section D.4.0. Forensic Practice/Prevention
> Unit.D.4.6. Suicide/Self Harm Assessment/Treatment
