File Download

There are no files associated with this item.

  Links for fulltext
     (May Require Subscription)

Article: Evaluating the effectiveness of barrier installation for preventing railway suicides in Hong Kong

TitleEvaluating the effectiveness of barrier installation for preventing railway suicides in Hong Kong
Authors
KeywordsPlatform screen door
Railway suicide
Restriction to means
Substitution effect
Suicide prevention
Issue Date2009
PublisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jad
Citation
Journal Of Affective Disorders, 2009, v. 114 n. 1-3, p. 254-262 How to Cite?
AbstractBackground: Railway suicide is a serious mortality issue. Most attempters are unmarried psychotic young men under psychiatric care having a high level of lethal intent. Installation of platform screen doors (PSDs) to limit access to the track has been suggested as an effective way for prevention. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of installing PSDs for preventing railway suicides; any sign of substitution of suicide location; and changes in psychiatric profile of suicide deceased after the PSD installation in the subway system of Hong Kong. Methods: Cases of railway suicide and related information from 1997 to 2007 were provided by the railway operators and the Coroner's Court. The effectiveness of installing PSDs was assessed through a quasi-experimental setting. Poisson regression and chi-squared test were used. Results: Over the 11-year study period, a total of 76 railway suicide cases (0.71% of all suicides) were reported. A significant reduction of 59.9% (p = 0.0003) in railway suicides was found after the PSD installation. Analyses confirmed that there was no significant sign of substitution by displacing potential attempters to unsealed platforms (p = 0.9051). Those having psychosis would be better protected as no suicide cases with such psychiatric background were reported after the installation of PSDs. Limitations: It has not considered the potential economic benefits of PSD. It is difficult if not possible to examine whether the potential attempters would substitute to an alternative method of suicide. Conclusions: This study shows that PSDs can effectively prevent suicides with no substitution by "delethalizing" the image and altering people's perception about the desirability of railway suicide. Railway operators should extend the coverage of PSD to all railway stations in Hong Kong without any delay. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/60965
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.9
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 2.082
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorLaw, CKen_HK
dc.contributor.authorYip, PSFen_HK
dc.contributor.authorChan, WSCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorFu, KWen_HK
dc.contributor.authorWong, PWCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorLaw, YWen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-05-31T04:23:04Z-
dc.date.available2010-05-31T04:23:04Z-
dc.date.issued2009en_HK
dc.identifier.citationJournal Of Affective Disorders, 2009, v. 114 n. 1-3, p. 254-262en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0165-0327en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/60965-
dc.description.abstractBackground: Railway suicide is a serious mortality issue. Most attempters are unmarried psychotic young men under psychiatric care having a high level of lethal intent. Installation of platform screen doors (PSDs) to limit access to the track has been suggested as an effective way for prevention. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of installing PSDs for preventing railway suicides; any sign of substitution of suicide location; and changes in psychiatric profile of suicide deceased after the PSD installation in the subway system of Hong Kong. Methods: Cases of railway suicide and related information from 1997 to 2007 were provided by the railway operators and the Coroner's Court. The effectiveness of installing PSDs was assessed through a quasi-experimental setting. Poisson regression and chi-squared test were used. Results: Over the 11-year study period, a total of 76 railway suicide cases (0.71% of all suicides) were reported. A significant reduction of 59.9% (p = 0.0003) in railway suicides was found after the PSD installation. Analyses confirmed that there was no significant sign of substitution by displacing potential attempters to unsealed platforms (p = 0.9051). Those having psychosis would be better protected as no suicide cases with such psychiatric background were reported after the installation of PSDs. Limitations: It has not considered the potential economic benefits of PSD. It is difficult if not possible to examine whether the potential attempters would substitute to an alternative method of suicide. Conclusions: This study shows that PSDs can effectively prevent suicides with no substitution by "delethalizing" the image and altering people's perception about the desirability of railway suicide. Railway operators should extend the coverage of PSD to all railway stations in Hong Kong without any delay. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jaden_HK
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Affective Disordersen_HK
dc.rightsJournal of Affective Disorders. Copyright © Elsevier BV.en_HK
dc.subjectPlatform screen dooren_HK
dc.subjectRailway suicideen_HK
dc.subjectRestriction to meansen_HK
dc.subjectSubstitution effecten_HK
dc.subjectSuicide preventionen_HK
dc.titleEvaluating the effectiveness of barrier installation for preventing railway suicides in Hong Kongen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0165-0327&volume=114&issue=1-3&spage=254&epage=262&date=2009&atitle=Evaluating+the+effectiveness+of+barrier+installation+for+preventing+railway+suicides+in+Hong+Kongen_HK
dc.identifier.emailYip, PSF: sfpyip@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailFu, KW: kwfu@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailWong, PWC: paulw@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailLaw, YW: flawhk@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityYip, PSF=rp00596en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityFu, KW=rp00552en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityWong, PWC=rp00591en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityLaw, YW=rp00561en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jad.2008.07.021en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid18789825-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-59649087135en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros163012en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-59649087135&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume114en_HK
dc.identifier.issue1-3en_HK
dc.identifier.spage254en_HK
dc.identifier.epage262en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000264223900028-
dc.publisher.placeNetherlandsen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLaw, CK=26027038700en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYip, PSF=7102503720en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChan, WSC=26425622500en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridFu, KW=16315896700en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridWong, PWC=13607861800en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLaw, YW=7006095381en_HK
dc.identifier.issnl0165-0327-

Export via OAI-PMH Interface in XML Formats


OR


Export to Other Non-XML Formats