The relation of new Samaritan clients and volunteers to high risk people in England and Wales (1965-1977).

The declining English and Welsh suicide rates are associated with increased Samaritan efforts and detoxification of household gas during the pre-1972 era. The resulting debate has been heuristic. The author reviewed annual rates of new callers, volunteers and suicidal deaths between 1965 and 1977 and computed ratios of new clients to high risk people. This reveals an asymptotic progression towards 27 percent since 1972. Similarly, the ratio of new clients to volunteers has been constant at 11 for the same period. These consistencies help to explain the constant suicide rate at eight per 100,000 live people after 1972 despite increasing Samaritan efforts. The author recommends an effort to increase the percentage of high risk served as a test for the hypothesis of Samaritan causality in explaining the reduced English suicide rates.