@article{ref1,
title="Crisis phones - suicide prevention versus suggestion/contagion effects",
journal="Crisis",
year="2015",
author="Stack, Steven",
volume="36",
number="3",
pages="220-224",
abstract="BACKGROUND: There has been no systematic work on the short- or long-term impact of the installation of crisis phones on suicides from bridges. The present study addresses this issue. <br><br>METHOD: Data refer to 219 suicides from 1954 through 2013 on the Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida. Six crisis phones with signs were installed in July 1999. <br><br>RESULTS: In the first decade after installation, the phones were used by 27 suicidal persons and credited with preventing 26 or 2.6 suicides a year. However, the net suicide count increased from 48 in the 13 years before installation of phones to 106 the following 13 years or by 4.5 additional suicides/year (t =3.512, p <.001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Although the phones prevented some suicides, there was a net increase after installation. The findings are interpreted with reference to suggestion/contagion effects including the emergence of a controversial bridge suicide blog.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0227-5910",
doi="10.1027/0227-5910/a000313",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000313"
}