Installation of a Bridge Barrier As a Suicide Prevention Strategy in Montréal, Québec, Canada

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 May 18

PMID 23678905

Citations 12

Authors

Stephane Perron

Stephanie Burrows

Michel Fournier

Paul-Andre Perron

Frederic Ouellet

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated whether the installation of a suicide prevention barrier on Jacques-Cartier Bridge led to displacement of suicides to other jumping sites on Montréal Island and Montérégie, Québec, the 2 regions it connects.

Methods: Suicides on Montréal Island and Montérégie were extracted from chief coroners' records. We used Poisson regression to assess changes in annual suicide rates by jumping from Jacques-Cartier Bridge and from other bridges and other sites and by other methods before (1990-June 2004) and after (2005-2009) installation of the barrier.

Results: Suicide rates by jumping from Jacques-Cartier Bridge decreased after installation of the barrier (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13, 0.43), which persisted when all bridges (IRR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.27, 0.55) and all jumping sites (IRR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.54, 0.80) in the regions were considered.

Conclusions: Little or no displacement to other jumping sites may occur after installation of a barrier at an iconic site such as Jacques-Cartier Bridge. A barrier's design is important to its effectiveness and should be considered for new bridges with the potential to become symbolic suicide sites.

Citing Articles

Effectiveness of physical barriers to prevent suicide by jumping from high-risk bridges: From an integrative review to a northern Italian province's paradigm.

Merli R, Costanza A Prev Med Rep. 2024; 42:102745.

PMID: 38721569 PMC: 11077020. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102745.

Structural intervention at one bridge decreases the overall jumping suicide rate in Victoria, Australia.

Dwyer J, Spittal M, Scurrah K, PIRKIS J, Bugeja L, Clapperton A Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023; 32:e58.

PMID: 37721170 PMC: 10539743. DOI: 10.1017/S2045796023000720.

A Spatial Analysis of Suicide Displacement at a High-Risk Cliff-Based Location Following Installation of a Means Restriction Initiative.

Torok M, Passioura J, Konings P, Wong Q, Qian J, Larsen M Prev Sci. 2023; 24(7):1292-1301.

PMID: 36800134 PMC: 10575997. DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01504-6.

Cost-effectiveness of Installing Barriers at Bridge and Cliff Sites for Suicide Prevention in Australia.

Bandara P, Pirkis J, Clapperton A, Shin S, Too L, Reifels L JAMA Netw Open. 2022; 5(4):e226019.

PMID: 35380642 PMC: 8984771. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6019.

, Suicidal Behavior, and Intermediate Phenotypes for Suicidal Behavior.

Postolache T, Wadhawan A, Rujescu D, Hoisington A, Dagdag A, Baca-Garcia E Front Psychiatry. 2021; 12:665682.

PMID: 34177652 PMC: 8226025. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665682.

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