Suicides In Berks County - Essay Example

Suicides in Berks County Abstract The survey conducted on the Suicide in Berks county shows us various problems or causes that may cause a person to commit suicide. The purpose of this survey was to record the data for an extensive look at suicide and the formulation of a hypothesis for its cause, effect and treatment on victims. The interview of Deputy Michael S. Kelly, Special Operation’s Unit, Philadelphia police department concluded that, The unit has to respond to calls regarding suicidal individuals on railroad tracks. These types of calls are extremely difficult due to the nature of the call. Most of the time these incidents are premeditated, and they have minutes to arrive to remove the person from the rail road tracks. Suicide prevention plan is a sustainable and effective way of saving lives. Berks County already has a few Suicide prevention plans and help-lines in place and needs to enhance the existing structures to accommodate the rising suicide rates in Berks County. Apart from the above we can work towards increasing the number of professional volunteers and other groups that join and combine youth suicide prevention tasks into their own programs, and adapt regulation and processes to prevent the youth of the state from committing suicide. Introduction Suicide is the ninth biggest cause of death in the United States, numbering close to 30,000 deaths annually. The fact that suicide comes across as a premature and artificial cause of death; it has become a primary public and mental health concern. According to reports Rural Pennsylvania has the state’s highest per capita suicide rate. The data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health records that between 1994 and 1998 more than 1600 rural citizens died of suicide, which comes close to 62 people for every 100,000 people. In urban areas followed a similar trend but with a lower ratio of 57 for every 100,000 people. The rural elderly, or people 65 years old and older, have the highest per capita suicide rates of any age cohort at a rate of 94 people for every 100,000. The rate for elderly males was 202 people for every 100,000 while the rate for elderly females was 21 people for every 100,000. The rate for victims between the ages of 30 and 44 years old was 83 and for teenagers were 14 for every 100,000 people. It was found that rural males were six and a half times more likely than rural females to commit suicide. The suicide rate for rural males was 109 people for every 100,000, while the suicide rate for rural females was 17 people for every 100,000. This represents an extremely large gap between the male and female population in the rural areas of the state. Conservative backgrounds of women and their staunch adherence to old fashioned ways have resulted in them being religious. This actually stems the suicide rate because of suicide being considered a sin according to Christianity. Considering the same ratios in urban areas we find that the gap is not as large as that which is found in the rural areas of the state. This can be safely attributed to the fast changing dynamic societies in the urban areas where there is a lesser stress on culture and social beliefs and old fashioned values. Also the higher stress levels in the cities and urban areas because of the faster lifestyle plays a crucial role in the increasing number of suicide rates on urban areas. According to the National Center for Health Statistics Pennsylvania is ranked at 31 in the nation in the number of suicides per capita. The states with the highest rates were Nevada, Alaska, and Wyoming. The states with the lowest rankings were Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Inside of Pennsylvania, the northeast region was found to have the highest suicide rate, while the south central region had the lowest suicide rate. Looking at the county level, Schuylkill, Pike, and Susquehanna counties had the highest suicide rates; it is calculated at more than 84 people for every 100,000 residents. Centre, Bedford, and Juniata counties were found to have had the lowest suicide rates with less than 41 for every 100,000 people. We can now look at the various problems or causes that may cause a person to commit suicide. A wide spread belief is that suicides are triggered by stress such as the mental depression which follows large gambling losses. Let us now look at a person called Emmett Roberts’ of Berks County and how his life turned inside out because of just one trip to the gambling center. This person who had a full time job as an electronics technician started to gamble daily after his first visit in 1994. Soon his bouts of gambling resulted in heavy losses and he went into severe debt. Owing more than $200,000, he began stealing from his company. He also suddenly quit the job and then the company found he had embezzled close to $200,000. He then went on to flee to different places and became a fugitive from the law passing illegal or forged checks for money in local banks. By July, 1995, Roberts felt suicide was the only solution to his problems. He was arrested 2 days before he could commit suicide. This case is a classic example of how behavioral traits affect a person’s mental state and thereby leading him to commit huge mistakes which eventually takes his life as a price. Interview Report I interviewed Deputy Michael S. Kelly (215-686-1776), who has been assigned to the Special Operation’s Unit for the last four years, at the Philadelphia police department. With his salary of approx. 3500 dollars per month, he works as deputy sheriff. The Enforcement Unit consists of six deputies, one sergeant, and one lieutenant. Deputy Kelly’s duties include enforcing trespassing laws, elimination of discarded debris; his duties also include encampments occupied by people who are homeless and day laborers. Before volunteering to be part of the Coaster Unit, Deputy Kelly served as patrolman assigned to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office. He decided to join the force after he served in the Marine Corps. Kelly graduated from the police academy in 1992. Kelly has been employed with the Sheriff’s Department for thirteen years. He joined the force to help out the community and to assist people under stressful situations. He recalls an incident where three teenagers were fishing near the rail road tracks by the city of Ambler. An Amtrak went through the area at approximately ninety miles an hour and killed a teenager who was too close to the rail road tracks. The unit also responds to calls regarding suicidal individuals on railroad tracks. He mentioned that these types of calls are extremely difficult due to the nature of the call. Most of the time these incidents are premeditated, and they have minutes to arrive to remove the person from the rail road tracks. He recalled an incident where an individual was at the Philadelphia Train Station, and as the train was approaching the station, the individual lay down across the tracks and was run over. He was killed instantly. He mentioned it as disgusting crime scene, “There are pieces of human remains all over the place.” It is treated as a normal crime scene until the coroner's pronounced the cause of death as a suicide. There are people who commit crimes and attempts to cover evidence by disposing the body across the rail road tracks. He said that his duties include patrolling transit centers throughout the Philadelphia County area and on public transportation. He stated that when he receives a call to respond to a bus emergency it is most likely to be a patrons refusing to pay the fare or someone under the influence of a control substance, but every situation is unique he states. Kelly has been involved in numerous confrontations where he had to use some type of force to stop the threat. He told me he has never used his gun and never had been hospitalized for his injuries. He feels his rigid training has played a major part in his safety. He runs a couple of miles every other day and lifts weights as well. He runs different scenarios with his partners, and he says that he is keen to educate himself on any activities around the railroad property. According to him, Police work can be challenging but rewarding, his job is about saving lives, and the safety of our citizens; however when a conductor notices someone on the tracks, he say’s “I have little or no power to stop the train.” It takes two miles for a train to come to full rest depending on the speed of the train. Kelly told me that people should not try to go around the train, stop at an intersection or even walk in the middle of the rail road tracks for their own safety and in cooperation with the law. He said that people because are killed by trains because they fail to follow the warnings. Coach operators should be treated with respect since they are assisting us to arrive to our destination. Kelly stated that Amtrak will be offering a link between King of Prussia, Radnor, Allentown, Reading and Philadelphia when the eastern half of Pennsylvania enforces the Clean Air Act and this law regulates public transportation. The Night Train Express will run twenty-two miles along the PA Turnpike and is scheduled to board in late 2009. Concluding the interview, Kelly said, “We need to be more aware of rail safety to avoid collisions and follow directions to prevent setbacks that affected development in Pennsylvania (e.g., The Reading Station). Survey [Suicide in Berks County – PA] “Suicide is the willful act of killing oneself. Suicide can also refer to an individual who has killed him or herself. Sometimes, a person will make actions resembling suicide attempts while not being fully committed, or in a deliberate attempt to have others notice. This is called a suicidal gesture (also known as a "cry for help"). Prototypical methods might be a non-lethal method of self-harm that leaves obvious signs of the attempt, or simply a lethal action at a time when the person considers it likely that he/she will be rescued or prevented from fully carrying it out. On the other hand, a person who genuinely wishes to die may fail, due to lack of knowledge about what they are doing, unwillingness to try methods that may end in permanent damage if they fail or harm others, or an unanticipated rescue, among other reasons. This is referred to as a suicide attempt.” The purpose of this survey was to record the data for an extensive look at suicide and the formulation of a hypothesis for its cause, effect and treatment on victims. The survey results are a reflection of (25) twenty-five survey questionnaires, which were distributed throughout Penn State University, library & cafeteria. The surveyors where selected randomly, and consisted of both male and female participants, and ages (18-23) eighteen to twenty-three. The suicide survey questions ranging from age to medical treatment opinion were as the results and are based on the totals located on the suicide survey tallies on page’s 4, 5, & 6. The questions: Are you a student here? 96% [Yes] 04% [No] Have you ever taken this survey before? 04% [Yes] 96% [No] Do you think that suicidal thoughts or attempts are a problem in today’s society? 80% [Yes] 20% [No] Do you think suicidal thought or attempts are more prevalent amongst adults? 40% [Yes] 60% [No] Have you ever thought of committing suicide? 20% [Yes] 80% [No] Do you know anyone who has committed suicide? 60% [Yes] 40% [No] Have you ever been depressed? 72% [Yes] 28% [No] If so, where you ever treated for clinical depression or related? 12% [Yes] 88% [No] Are you on any medication? 16% [Yes] 84% [No] Do you think someone who has had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide would benefit from medication? 72% [Yes] 24% [No] 04% [No response] Conclusion Suicide prevention plan is a sustainable and effective way of saving lives. Berks County already has a few Suicide prevention plans and help-lines in place and needs to enhance the existing structures to accommodate the rising suicide rates in Berks County. Some of the following methods and measures can be used for the same, • A systematic effort to contact existing organizations and programs to accumulate and store information that is already available. Focus needs to be on sexual minority youth. • Encourage and develop any required materials • Look out for gathering the funds for the campaign • Analyze the efficacy of a media campaign The next step that we can take is to transform the public attitudes so that they view mental and drug abuse illnesses as real illnesses which is something equivalent to normal physical illness, something that responds to specific clinical treatments, and also to look at the youth who come out with strength and accept the treatment as somebody who is pursuing basic health care. This requires a lot of awareness creation amongst the populace since suicidal tendencies are assumed to be inherent and unchanging in a person who exhibits them. Educating families, health officials and school staff on the need for assessment of destructive or dangerous means in the home, school, and society, and marking actions to reduce the means of suicide in their environments is another good option. The following are the serious conditions that are present in a person, who is seriously contemplating suicide, A sense of complete hopelessness. Vengeful attitude or extreme anger. Doing activities without thinking about the dangers involved A sense of feeling trapped Increased alcohol or drug use. Keeping distance from friends, family and society. Either sleeping all the time or unable to sleep at all. Constant mood changes. Library References American Gaming Association. (1998, September 01). Suicide and Gambling: An Analysis of Suicide Rates in U.S. Counties and Metropolitan Areas. American Gaming Association Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.americangaming.org/assets/files/studies/Suicide.pdf The center for Rural Pennsylvania. (2000, November 01). Newsletter. The center for Rural Pennsylvania Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.ruralpa.org/news1100.html Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1997, August/September 29). Regional Variations in Suicide Rates. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/preview/mmwrhtml/00049117.htm Joe, S., & Kaplan, M. S. (2002). Firearm-Related Suicide Among Young African-American Males. Psychiatric Services, 53, 332-334. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from Psychiatric Services database. Ledgerwood, D. M. (1999). Suicide and Attachment: Fear of Abandonment and Isolation from a Developmental Perspective. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. Mukamal, K. J., Kawachi, I., Miller, M., & Rimm, E. B. Drinking frequency and quantity and risk of suicide among men. Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Penn State University. (1998, February 13). Seasonal Differences May Affect Suicide Rates For Alaskan Natives. Penn State University Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.psu.edu/ur/NEWS/news/alaskansuicides.html Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2002, July/August). PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLAN. Pennsylvania Department of Education Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.pde.state.pa.us/svcs_students/lib/svcs_students/FiveYearSuicidePreventionPlan.pdf Pennsylvania Department of Health. (2007, Spring). Montgomery County Emergency Service Suicide in Pennsylvania Quiz. Pennsylvania Department of Health Press Release. Retrieved March 21, 2007, from http://www.mces.org/StateSuicideQuiz.htm Pennsylvania Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (2002, Spring). PENNSYLVANIA SUICIDE PREVENTION FACT SHEET. Pennsylvania Suicide Prevention Resource Center Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.sprc.org/stateinformation/PDF/statedatasheets/pa_datasheet.pdf Rorsman, B. (1973). Suicide in psychiatric patients: A comparative study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 8, 55-66. Suicide: A wall of Silence. Preventing Suicide. (2005, August/September 15). The Patriot News. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/news/patriotnews/stories/081505_suicide_sidebar2.html Suicide Reference Library. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.suicidereferencelibrary.com/articles.php Suicide Reference Library. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.suicidereferencelibrary.com/articles.php University of Pennsylvania Health System. (2001, Spring). Pennsylvania History. University of Pennsylvania Health System Press Release. Retrieved March/April 21, 2007, from http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ficap/research/projects/psn/docs/Berks.pdf References “American Association of Suicidology.” AAS. 2 Apr.2007 "Suicide." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 19 Apr 2007, 12:42 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 20 Apr 2007 . Age Question No.2 Question No.3 Question No.4 Question No.5 Question No.6 Question No.7 Question No.8 Question No.9 Question No.10 Question No.11 18 Y N Y N Y N Y N N N 18 Y N Y N N Y Y N N N 18 Y N Y Y N Y N N N Y 18 Y N Y N N N N N N Y 19 Y N Y N N Y Y N Y N/O 19 Y N Y Y N N N N N Y 19 Y N N N N Y N N N Y 19 Y N Y Y Y Y Y N N N 19 Y N Y N Y N Y N N N 19 Y N Y Y N Y Y N N Y 19 Y N N N N Y Y N N Y 19 Y N N Y N N N N N Y 20 Y N Y N N N Y Y Y Y 20 Y N N N Y N Y Y Y Y 20 Y N Y Y N N Y N N Y 20 Y N Y N N Y N N N Y 20 Y N Y N N Y Y N N Y 20 Y N Y N N Y Y N N Y 21 Y N Y N N Y Y N N N 21 Y Y N N N N Y N N Y 21 Y N Y Y Y Y Y N N N 21 Y N Y N N Y Y N N N 22 Y N Y Y Y N Y N N Y 22 Y N Y Y N Y Y N N Y 23 N N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y KEY Y= YES N= NO N/O= NO RESPONSE Table: Results of survey TOTALS: AGE 18 19 20 21 22 23 Question No.2 Yes 4 8 6 4 2 0 Question No.2 No 0 0 0 0 0 1 Question No.2 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-16% Y-40% Y-24% Y-16% Y-8% N-4% Question No.3 Yes 0 0 0 1 0 0 Question No.3 No 4 8 6 3 2 1 Question No.3 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] N-16% N-40% N-24% Y-4%/N-12% N-8% N-4% Question No.4 Yes 1 4 1 1 2 1 Question No.4 No 3 4 5 3 0 0 Question No.4 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-4%/N-12% Y-16%/N-16% Y-4%/N-20% Y-4%/N-12% Y-8% Y-4% Question No.5 Yes 1 4 1 1 2 1 Question No.5 No 3 4 5 3 0 0 Question No.5 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-4%/N-12% Y-16%/N-16% Y-4%/N-20% Y-4%/N-12% Y-8% Y-4% Question No.6 Yes 1 2 1 1 1 0 Question No.6 No 3 6 5 3 1 1 Question No.6 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-4%/N-12% Y-8%/N-24% Y-4%/N-20% Y-4%/N-12% Y-4%/N-4% Y-4% Question No.7 Yes 2 5 3 3 1 1 Question No.7 No 2 3 3 1 1 0 Question No.7 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-8%/N-8% Y-20%/N-12% Y-12%/N-12% Y-12%/N-4% Y-4%/N-4% Y-4% Question No.8 Yes 2 5 5 4 2 1 Question No.8 Yes 2 3 1 0 0 0 Question No.8 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-8%/N-8% Y-20%/N-12% Y-20%/N-4% Y-16% Y-8% Y-4% Question No.9 Yes 0 0 2 0 0 1 Question No.9 No 4 8 4 4 2 0 Question No.9 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] N-16% N-40% Y-8%/N-16% N-16% N-8% Y-4% Question No.10 Yes 0 1 2 0 0 1 Question No.10 No 4 7 4 4 2 0 Question No.10 No Response 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] N-16% Y-4%/N-28% Y-8%/N-16% N-16% N-8% Y-4% Question No.11 Yes 2 5 6 1 2 1 Question No.11 No 2 2 0 3 0 0 Question No.11 No Response 0 1 0 0 0 0 Percentage [%] Y-8%/N-8% Y-20%/N-8%/ Y-24% Y-4%/N-12% Y-8% Y-4% ^N/O-4% KEY Y= YES N= NO N/O= NO RESPONSE Table: Age based response of the survey Read More