Porter L S, Astacio M, Sobong L C
School of Nursing, Florida International University, North Miami 33181, USA.
J Adv Nurs. 1997 Oct;26(4):716-22. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.00357.x.
Studies show that suicide occurs more frequently among people who are elderly, male, single, divorced or widowed, alienated, and among those with a life-threatening illness. Military service veterans are not spared these conditions; in some respect, they represent the 'down and out', the lonely and, increasingly, the older isolated people. This correlational descriptive study sought to identify the characteristic profile of telephone hotline users among veterans, their triggering crisis events, and whether the methods commonly used in suicide attempts relate to certain types of crisis. The random sample consisted of 271 veterans of the US military service, ranging in age from 20 to 79 years. Data were collected from nursing notes documented in the hotline suicide telephone call assessment records. The findings portray a sociodemographic profile of military veterans at risk of suicide attempts. Loneliness, alcoholism and unemployment topped the list of triggering events. The most common method used was drug overdose; shooting was a close second. These findings could serve as a base for development of suicide-prevention-focused programmes and optimal use of telephone hotlines for assessment and timely intervention of persons in great crisis.
研究表明，自杀在老年人、男性、单身、离异或丧偶、疏离人群以及患有危及生命疾病的人群中更为常见。退伍军人也未能幸免这些情况；在某些方面，他们代表着“穷困潦倒”、孤独的人，而且越来越多的是年老孤独的人。这项相关性描述性研究旨在确定退伍军人中电话热线使用者的特征概况、引发他们危机的事件，以及自杀未遂时常用的方法是否与某些类型的危机有关。随机样本包括271名美国退伍军人，年龄在20岁至79岁之间。数据收集自热线自杀电话评估记录中记录的护理笔记。研究结果描绘了有自杀未遂风险的退伍军人的社会人口学概况。孤独、酗酒和失业位列引发事件之首。最常用的方法是过量用药；枪击紧随其后。这些研究结果可为制定以预防自杀为重点的项目以及最佳利用电话热线对处于重大危机中的人员进行评估和及时干预提供依据。
