Suicide ― Closing the Exits

Clarke (criminal justice, Rutgers U.) and Lester (psychology, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey) report on research aimed at preventing suicide through public health programs that restrict access to lethal agents like guns, drugs, and carbon monoxide. They detail 14 of their studies on the topic and their effects on theoretical and public policy issues. They discuss the nature and prevalence of suicide and other suicide prevention efforts, such as prevention centers and psychological treatment, and analyze the availability of various methods of suicide and effects on the suicide rate, including the drop in suicide in Britain following the detoxification of domestic gas; the use of car exhaust in the US and Britain; firearm availability in the US and Australia; and handgun control in specific states in the US. They consider whether methods are replaced when there is restricted access, and the factors that influence choice of method (availability, suggestion and symbolism, and personal factors and cultural norms). They end by proposing a decision making theory of suicide that stresses the role of the availability of lethal agents and outline a model for a public health approach to prevention that focuses on reducing opportunities. The book is aimed at medical practitioners, policy makers, and psychologists. It was originally published in 1989. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)