Biomaterial Database

Suicidal behaviour on subway systems: a review of the epidemiology. 2007

Ruwan Ratnayake, and Paul S Links, and Rahel Eynan

Suicide Studies Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. rratnaya@jhsph.edu

Suicide on subway systems is a public health challenge that has been reported in urban centers worldwide. Our objective was to analyze studies of suicide on subway systems, develop a profile of characteristics that are suggestive of association with suicides or attempts, and show how this profile can inform prevention. A literature review involving epidemiology studies and studies relating to subway suicide was conducted. Twenty-eight studies were included in this review. Across studies, characteristics were not often assessed for risk factor status, although several characteristics were remarkably similar. Those attempting suicide on the subway appear to be affected by serious mental illness and have contact with mental health services before the suicidal behavior. Several characteristics may be shared among this population, emphasizing the potential for prevention in clinical and public health domains. Well-designed studies that utilize robust data collection and statistical methods are needed to establish the risk status associated with these characteristics.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011634	Public Health	Branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and control of disease and disability, and the promotion of physical and mental health of the population on the international, national, state, or municipal level.	Community Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine & Public Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine and Public Health,Health, Community,Health, Public
D011890	Railroads	Permanent roads having a line of rails fixed to ties and laid to gage, usually on a leveled or graded ballasted roadbed and providing a track for freight cars, passenger cars, and other rolling stock. Cars are designed to be drawn by locomotives or sometimes propelled by self-contained motors. (From Webster's 3d) The concept includes the organizational and administrative aspects of railroads as well.	Subways,Railroad,Subway
D002947	Cities	A large or important municipality of a country, usually a major metropolitan center.	Municipalities,Towns
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001523	Mental Disorders	Psychiatric illness or diseases manifested by breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling, and behavior producing either distress or impairment of function.	Mental Illness,Psychiatric Diseases,Psychiatric Disorders,Psychiatric Illness,Behavior Disorders,Diagnosis, Psychiatric,Mental Disorders, Severe,Psychiatric Diagnosis,Illness, Mental,Mental Disorder,Mental Disorder, Severe,Mental Illnesses,Psychiatric Disease,Psychiatric Disorder,Psychiatric Illnesses,Severe Mental Disorder,Severe Mental Disorders
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D013405	Suicide	The act of killing oneself.	Suicides
D013406	Suicide, Attempted	The unsuccessful attempt to kill oneself.	Parasuicide,Suicide Attempt,Attempt, Suicide,Attempted Suicide,Parasuicides
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments
D019049	Developed Countries	Countries that have reached a level of economic achievement through an increase of production, per capita income and consumption, and utilization of natural and human resources.	Industrialized Countries,Developed Nations,Industrialized Nations,Countries, Developed,Countries, Industrialized,Country, Developed,Country, Industrialized,Developed Country,Developed Nation,Industrialized Country,Industrialized Nation,Nation, Developed,Nation, Industrialized,Nations, Developed,Nations, Industrialized