Caring letters for suicide prevention: Implementation of a multi-site randomized clinical trial in the U.S. military and veteran affairs healthcare systems
David D. LuxtonElissa K. ThomasJoan ChippsRona Margaret RelovaDaphne BrownRobert N. McLayTina T. LeeHelenna NakamaDerek J. Smolenski
48
Citation
31
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
Keywords:
Veterans Affairs
This study analysed the drinking patterns and motivation to change drinking behaviours among injury patients who acknowledged alcohol as a factor in their injuries. A cross-sectional study was conducted over 18 months at a Swedish emergency department. A total of 1930 injury patients aged 18 - 70 years were enrolled in the study (76.8% completion rate). Of those who reported drinking, 10% acknowledged alcohol as a factor in their injury. A patient was more likely to report a causal attribution of the injury to alcohol the higher the weekly intake and the higher the frequency of heavy episodic drinking. The motivation to change variables showed a similar pattern of increased likelihood of attributing a causal link of alcohol and injury with increasing discontent with drinking behaviours and increasing desire to change drinking behaviours. The findings suggest that the ability to measure causal attribution of alcohol to injuries could be a promising tool to help patients explore the association between their injuries and alcohol use and motivate patients to modify drinking behaviours in order to avoid future injuries.
Alcohol intake
Drunk drivers
Cite
Citations (15)
Recognizing that injuries and violence kill more than five million people worldwide annually and cause harm to millions more, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has repeatedly called on governments du...
Christian ministry
Cite
Citations (2)
Cite
Citations (0)
Pediatric firearm-related deaths and injuries are a national public health crisis. In this Special Review Article, we characterize the epidemiology of firearm-related injuries in the United States and discuss public health programs, the role of pediatricians, and legislative efforts to address this health crisis. Firearm-related injuries are leading causes of unintentional injury deaths in children and adolescents. Children are more likely to be victims of unintentional injuries, the majority of which occur in the home, and adolescents are more likely to suffer from intentional injuries due to either assault or suicide attempts. Guns are present in 18% to 64% of US households, with significant variability by geographic region. Almost 40% of parents erroneously believe their children are unaware of the storage location of household guns, and 22% of parents wrongly believe that their children have never handled household guns. Public health interventions to increase firearm safety have demonstrated varying results, but the most effective programs have provided free gun safety devices to families. Pediatricians should continue working to reduce gun violence by asking patients and their families about firearm access, encouraging safe storage, and supporting firearm-related injury prevention research. Pediatricians should also play a role in educating trainees about gun violence. From a legislative perspective, universal background checks have been shown to decrease firearm homicides across all ages, and child safety laws have been shown to decrease unintentional firearm deaths and suicide deaths in youth. A collective, data-driven public health approach is crucial to halt the epidemic of pediatric firearm-related injury.
Cite
Citations (61)
Unintentional injury mortality trends in children and adolescents in Lithuania between 1971 and 2005
The objectives of the study were to estimate mortality rate trends due to road traffic, drowning and fire/burns in children aged 0–14 years and in adolescents aged 15–19 years in Lithuania between the years 1971–2005. The data were obtained from Statistics Lithuania and the Health Information Centre. Trends were estimated by linear and polynomial regression. The study revealed that the child and adolescent unintentional injury mortality rates show declining trends. For children, the significant decreasing trends of mortality rates due to road traffic, drowning and fire/burns were observed. For adolescents there were significant decreasing trends for drowning deaths, and insignificant decreasing tendencies for deaths from fire/burns. There was an insignificant increased road traffic mortality rate trend for adolescent girls. For the adolescent boys group and for boys and girls together from the beginning of the study period there were increasing trends, followed by declining trends. In the last years, the increase was observed again.
Cite
Citations (16)
Cite
Citations (5)
Cite
Citations (17)
In one or two decades, most countries in the West will count more than 20% of its population as being over 65 years. Although not all people in the third age are frail, statistics show that injury risks increase significantly with older age. Injury therefore presents a real threat to the health and well-being of senior citizens in our society. It results not only in premature death but in particular in a massive reduction in quality of life due to consequent disabilities and handicaps. Falls are the major injury type and, on top of a significant increase in risk population in absolute numbers, we also see an increase in incidence rates in standardized populations as regards hospitalizations due to fall injuries. A multitude of risk factors is involved in fall events and resulting injuries and these factors therefore need careful analysis before deciding on prevention strategies. These factors include a decrease in functional capacities such as eye sight and hearing, decreasing mobility, (multi-)medication, and hazards in the domestic environment. All these factors should be considered with an eye toward prevention, especially those factors that are open to change and intervention, such as environmental factors, prescription of medicines and general physical condition. But since the population of 55 years and older is not at all homogeneous, prevention programs have to be well-targeted and well-focused at specific risk groups and opportunities for intervention. In that perspective, at least two different risk groups are distinguished in this paper: in the first place, senior citizens living independently at home and still living an active life, and secondly senior citizens admitted to nursing homes or care facilities, who are frail and most vulnerable. The paper highlights the ingredients of successful interventions that are targeted at both groups and advocates concerted actions at the national and local level, forging partnerships among the relevant professions and interest groups, including senior citizens themselves and their unions. An important role is also foreseen for the European Commission in providing support for exchanging research findings and intervention practice. It is suggested that a European network for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, with due regard for senior citizens, be established within the framework of the proposed Public Health program.
Cite
Citations (2)
"Water safety and drowning prevention." International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 20(3), pp. 207–208
Water safety
Cite
Citations (7)