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A Spate of Suicide by Jumping
Author(s) -
Goldney R.D.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1986.tb00818.x
Subject(s) - economic shortage , project commissioning , jumping , publishing , psychiatry , psychology , medicine , medical emergency , political science , law , government (linguistics) , physiology , philosophy , linguistics
Since 1980 eleven patients of a psychiatric hospital have committed suicide by jumping from high buildings. Possible contributing factors to this spate of suicides include the effect of suggestion, the continued attempt to de‐institutionalise patients with chronic illness, and administrative difficulties with a shortage of trained psychiatrists. Comment is also made on the wisdom of making potential sites for such suicides less accessible, and the medico‐legal responsibilities of psychiatric hospitals.