HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ford, A B Articles by Adelson, L Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ford, A B Articles by Adelson, L

Violent death in a metropolitan county: II. Changing patterns in suicides (1959-1974).

A B Ford, N B Rushforth, N Rushforth, C S Hirsch and L Adelson

Suicide rates in Cuyahoga County (metropolitan Cleveland) rose from 10.2 in 1958 to 12.5 per 100,000 populations in 1974 (23 per cent increase) with the greatest rise among nonwhite males (from 5.9 to 13.1, or 122 per cent). Increased rates were observed in both the city (19 per cent increase) and suburbs (35 per cent increase). Rates increased among young non-white and white adults of both sexes aged 15--34 years, but decreased slightly among adults aged 65 years and older. These findings are consistent with national trends. Alcohol was present in the blood of one-fourth of the individuals who were "dead on arrival," and at intoxicating levels in 20 per cent. There were increasing percentages of victims with positive blood alcohol and with intoxicating levels during the study period. White male victims in the city had significantly higher frequencies of such findings than their counterparts in the suburbs. The rates of suicide committed by firearms rose among all race-sex groups, with the greatest increase among city nonwhite males (2.1 to 7.7, or 267 per cent). Suicide by chemical agents (roughly one-half being barbiturates) increased in all groups except city nonwhite males, with the greatest increase among white males and suburban white females. Firearms among males and poisoning among females displaced asphyxia as the leading modes of suicide.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. C. Branas, M. L. Nance, M. R. Elliott, T. S. Richmond, and C. W. Schwab Urban-Rural Shifts in Intentional Firearm Death: Different Causes, Same Results Am J Public Health, October 1, 2004; 94(10): 1750 - 1755. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Brent Firearms and Suicide Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., April 1, 2001; 932(1): 225 - 240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]