Factors Associated with Failed and Completed Railway Suicides

This article reports on a study of the factors associated with failed and completed railway suicides. The authors investigated a total of 5731 suicide victims of the German central railway registry of person accidents from a six-year observation period of 1997 to 2002. The authors investigated the impact of sex, age, local and time factors on case fatality. A minority of 540 subjects (9.4%) survived the suicidal event. Analyses identified risk factors for fatal outcome included male gender, nighttime, open track, and main railway line. The authors conclude that the higher odds to die on open track areas, fast track lines, and during nighttime suggest a reduced opportunity to survive due to circumstances. The authors suggest preventive strategies to avoid fatal suicidal behavior on railway lines, including surveillance devices such as mirrors and photoelectric beams at station areas to reduce the feeling of privacy, lighting, and reduced speed of trains in high risk areas as well as training of railway staff in observing deviant behavior of railway clients.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01650327
• Authors:
  • Erazo, N
  • Baumert, J J
  • Ladwig, K-H
• Publication Date: 2005-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 137-143
• Serial:
  • Journal of Affective Disorders
  • Volume: 88
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0165-0327
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01650327

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash survival time; Daytime crashes; Gender; Nighttime crashes; Psychological aspects; Railroads; Risk assessment; Suicide
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01010555
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 12 2005 6:37AM