ACCIDENT OR SUICIDE

THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF THIS RESEARCH WAS, DO SUICIDAL AND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TRENDS PREDISPOSE CERTAIN HUMAN BEINGS TO SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS? BECAUSE OF THE PSYCHOANALYTIC NATURE OF THE HYPOTHESES, PSYCHOANALYST INTERVIEWERS WERE USED TO GATHER THE BASIC DATA. A SERIES OF HYPOTHESES DEALING WITH SUICIDAL AND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TRENDS WAS DEVELOPED, AND A SEARCH WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE CONCENTRATION IN EACH GROUP OF SUBJECTS. THE GROUPS WERE: 1) SEVERELY SUICIDAL PATIENTS; 2) DRIVERS SERIOUSLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF ONE-CAR COLLISION; AND 3) POST-APPENDECTOMY PATIENTS (CONSIDERED TO BE NON-SELF-DESTRUCTIVE). A DATA SHEET WAS USED FOR EACH SUBJECT, AND DATA FROM FRIENDS OR RELATIVES WAS ALSO COLLECTED. ALL SUBJECTS WERE MALE, WHICH PARALLELS THE FACT THAT MOST DRIVERS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS ARE MALES. THE METHODS BY WHICH SUBJECTS WERE SELECTED ARE DESCRIBED, AND EVALUATIONS DONE OF THE DATA SHEETS WITH RESPECT TO THE HYPOTHESES AND IMPRESSIONS GAINED FROM THE RESEARCH. SUMMARIES OF THE INTERVIEWERS' FINDINGS WERE CORRELATED AND EVALUATED. CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT THE INTERVIEWERS HELD BIASES; A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF BIASES INFLUENCED THE DATA RECORDED, AND NO CORRESPONDENCE OF THIS SORT WAS FOUND. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCIDENT AND MENTAL ILLNESS: THAT, IN GENERAL, SELF-DESTRUCTIVENESS AND SUICIDE ARE NOT PRESENT IN MANY ACCIDENTS; THAT DRIVERS AT FAULT IN ACCIDENTS DO NOT NECESSARILY EXHIBIT CHARACTER OR MENTAL DISORDERS; THAT DRINKING DRIVERS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS DO NOT EXHIBIT DIFFERENT PATHOLOGIES. ALCOHOL DOES INHIBIT THE LIFE PRESERVATION FORCE, AND INCREASES THE FEELINGS OF OMNIPOTENCE. MEASURES ARE SUGGESTED TO REDUCE THE ACCIDENT TOLL DUE TO DRINKING DRIVERS, AND AID FOR THE SUBGROUP OF DEPRESSED AND/OR SUICIDAL DRIVERS IS RECOMMENDED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 3 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  Thomas, Chas. C., Pub Company

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Tabachnick, N
  • Gussen, J
  • Litman, R E
  • Peck, M L
  • Tiber, N
  • Wold, C I
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 211 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcoholism; Behavior; Crash causes; Crash investigation; Driver performance; Drivers; Drunk driving; High risk drivers; Human characteristics; Personnel performance; Suicide
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver psychology
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222387
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 27 1974 12:00AM