Research Proposal Presentation

Proposed Study

Alexander Wenceslao, Briahna Pitts, Shaina Clasberry, Elbert Johnson, and Edith Zamora

January 18, 2016

PSY/ 335

Dr. Nancy Lees

Summary

Suicide is a national risk to all ages, both attempted and completed suicides. Suicidal behavior is able to be influenced by many factors that are both internal and external. While external factors such as the media may pose as an influence, internal factors such as genetics or situational stress may pose as influences as well. A new study that the group would create to answer the remaining unanswered questions would be to incorporate as many individuals as possible with a mass survey. The individuals that the survey targets would be those who are currently experiencing suicide related situations or have experienced suicidal situations in the past. Also, this survey would be inclusive to ask questions about what the causes are for the individuals to contemplate suicide. The external factors outside of the targeted group, the survey would be the media and its effect on suicidal influence, benefactors of the suicidal community, and those related to the suicidal individuals. To ensure gaining questions to remaining unanswered questions, the survey can ask questions concerning the external factors.

Our group would set out to answer the following research question: “Is it possible to prevent suicidal influences by taking preemptive measures?” The hypothesis would be if it is possible to prevent suicidal influences, then the preemptive measures could be implemented across all demographics—thus decreasing national suicide rates.

Suicide risk in relation to socioeconomic, demographic, psychiatric, and familial factors: A national register-based study of all suicides in denmark

Abstract. Suicide risk was addressed in relation to the joint effect of factors regarding family structure, socioeconomics, demographics, mental illness, and family history of suicide and mental illness, as well as gender differences in risk factors. Method: Data were drawn from four national Danish longitudinal registers. Subjects were all 21,169 persons who committed suicide in 1981-1997 and 423,128 live comparison subjects matched for age, gender, and calendar time of suicide by using a nested case-control design. The effect of risk factors was estimated through conditional logistic regression. The interaction of gender with the risk factors was examined by using the log likelihood ratio test. The population attributable risk was calculated. Results: Of the risk factors examined in the study, a history of hospitalization for psychiatric disorder was associated with the highest odds ratio and the highest attributable risk for suicide. Cohabiting or single marital status, unemployment, low income, retirement, disability, sickness-related absence from work, and a family history of suicide and/or psychiatric disorders were also significant risk factors for suicide. Moreover, these factors had different effects in male and female subjects. A psychiatric disorder was more likely to increase suicide risk in female than in male subjects. Being single was associated with higher suicide risk in male subjects, and having a young child with lower suicide risk in female subjects. Unemployment and low income had stronger effects on suicide in male subjects. Living in an urban area was associated with higher suicide risk in female subjects and a lower risk in male subjects. A family history of suicide raised suicide risk slightly more in female than in male subjects. Conclusions: Suicide risk is strongly associated with mental illness, unemployment, low income, marital status, and family history of suicide. The effect of most risk factors differs significantly by gender (Qin, Agerbo, & Mortensen, 2003)

What was the author’s goal? The objective for this study was the suicide risk was addressed in relation to the joint effect of factors regarding family structure, socioeconomics, demographics, mental illness, and family history of suicide and mental illness, as well as gender differences in risk factors (Quin, Agerbo & Mortensen, 2003, Pg. 765).

What questions remain unanswered? Conclusions: Suicide risk is strongly associated with mental illness, unemployment, low income, marital status, and family history of suicide. The effect of most risk factors differs significantly by gender (Quin, Agerbo & Mortensen, 2003, Pg. 765). In addition, a question that is remain unanswered is if age is also plays a factor as a suicide risk.

What was the author’s research question? What is the suicide risk in relation to socioeconomic, demographic, psychiatric, and familial factors?

What was the author’s hypothesis? Suicide risk to be connected to the following factors: family structure, socioeconomics, demographics, mental illness, family history of suicide, mental illness, and gender.

How to Adjust Media Recommendations on Reporting Suicidal Behavior to New Media Developments

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to establish best practice and evidence-based approach to reduce suicidality by community-based multilevel interventions. 193 member states of the United Nations (UN) were used as sample of countries to gather information on national suicide prevention programs, media recommendations, and press codes. Experts assessed the existing national programs. These experts rated the inclusion of variables in each media recommendation and press code. For each variable, the percentages of inclusion in the media recommendations or press codes were calculated.

What was the author’s goal? The author’s goal is to present accurate and up to date information concerning the effects of media on suicidal behaviors.

What questions remain unanswered? Are all relevant factors for preventing imitation included in the existing media recommendations? Do they consider emergent media?

What was the author’s research question? The author’s question was how many of the of the sample of United Nation countries has a national suicide prevention program, media recommendations to assist suicide prevention and which organization has prepared them.

What was the author’s hypothesis? The hypothesis states that media recommendations and press codes of ethics vary considerably in the included preventive factors and that there is a need for optimization, given the current state of knowledge about responsible media reporting.

Surrogate Endpoints in Suicide Research

Abstract.

Surrogate endpoints frequently substitute for rare outcomes in research.

The ability to learn about completed suicides by investigating more readily available

and proximate outcomes, such as suicide attempts, has obvious appeal. However,

concerns with surrogates from the statistical science perspective exist, and

mounting evidence from psychometric, neurochemical, genetic, and neuroimaging

studies suggests that surrogates may be particularly problematic in suicide

research. The need for greater phenotypic refinement of suicide-related behaviors,

development of and adherence to a shared suicide nomenclature, and conservative

interpretation of investigational results that are limited to the precise population

and suicide-related behavior under examination are discussed.

What was the author's goal? The author’s goal was to determine if a surrogate endpoint could work for suicide attempt research. Even though there are many critics that do not like that idea of a surrogate endpoint for other scientific studies.

What questions remain unanswered? Why is suicide attempts taxing for caregivers and health care systems? Can suicide be heritable? Are there different subgroups for suicide?

What was the author’s research question? The author’s research question was, is it possible to have a surrogate endpoint for suicide? Another question that came about was, are suicide attempts similar to completed suicide?

What was the author’s hypothesis? Surrogate in suicide research needs a lot of conservative investigation results and it only limits to a certain population with behavioral study (The American Association of Suicidology, 2010).

Causes of suicide in middle-aged men in prefectures in japan during the recent spike in suicides

Abstract. The article speaks of the situation of rising suicide rates in Japan. In Japan, there is a surge of suicides reported from the National Police Agency that focuses on the demographic of middle-aged men. The article states that the main reason is the “economic slump” (Inoue, Fukunaga, Okazaki, Fujita, Abe, & Ono, 2011). The article lists six prefectures and the reasons for why the middle aged men in those prefectures committed suicide.

What was the author's goal? The author’s goal was to address the issue of rising suicide rates in middle-aged men in prefectures in Japan.

What questions remain unanswered?

What other demographics have a similar surge in suicide rates in comparison to middle-aged men?

What was the author's the research question?

Why are middle-aged men, in Japan, more prone suicide?

What was the author's hypothesis?

If “economic difficulties” are common amongst middle-aged men in those prefectures, then the relevant organizations in Japan should be able to help decrease suicides (Inoue, Fukunaga, Okazaki, Fujita, Abe, & Ono, 2011).

References

Inoue, K., Fukunaga, T., Okazaki Y., Fujita, Y., Abe, S., & Ono, Y. (2011). Causes of suicide in middle-aged men in prefectures in Japan during the recent spike in suicides. West Indian Medical Journal, 59(3). Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=629023a3-41e9-4715-a4e0-131f8986099b%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4214&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mdc&AN=21294298

Qin, P., Agerbo, E., & Mortensen, P. B. (2003). Suicide risk in relation to

socioeconomic, demographic, psychiatric, and familial factors: A national register-based study of all suicides in denmark, 1981-1997. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(4), 765-72. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220467861?accountid=458

Maloney, J., B. Pfuhlmann, E. Arensman, C. Coffey, R. Gusmão, V. Poštuvan, and A. Schmidtke, et al. 2014. "How to Adjust Media Recommendations on Reporting Suicidal Behavior to New Media Developments." Archives Of Suicide Research 18, no. 2: 156 169. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed January 17, 2016).

Hal S. Wortzel, MD, Peter M. Gutierrez, PhD, Beeta Y. Homaifar, PhD,

Ryan E. Breshears, PhD, and Jeri E. Harwood, PhD. (2010). Surrogate Endpoints in Suicide Research. The Amercan Associaton of Suicidology. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/848859259?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=458