TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Crisis phones - suicide prevention versus suggestion/contagion effects
JO  - Crisis
A1  - Stack, Steven
SP  - 220
EP  - 224
VL  - 36
IS  - 3
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0227-5910
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000313
ID  - ref1
ER  -