Feasibility of railway suicide prevention strategies : A focus group study

• Suicide is a major public health concern, both nationally and internationally. In Sweden, more than 1200 people commit suicide every year, amounting to about 25% of all injury deaths. Five percent of these suicides occur on railways. From a railway safety perspective, suicide constitutes a clear majority (about 75%) of all Swedish railwayrelated fatalities. Several studies describe the frequency and characteristics of railway suicide in different countries. Some of them also discuss various preventative possibilities. However, fewer studies, if any, analyze and evaluate such strategies in more detail. In Sweden, a comprehensive research program in this field is now underway. The ultimate goal is to develop a set of preventative strategies against railway suicide that can be used by the railway transportation providers themselves, as an integral part of their regular safety work. The overall goal of this study is to explore preferences for preventative strategies against railway suicide among relevant professional groups. For the above purpose, a focus group approach was chosen. Focus group interview is a qualitative method based on group dynamics intended to gain non-quantitative in-depth understanding of a certain phenomenon, not obtainable from individual interviews. In total, 22 interviewees were selected and divided into four groups. Each interview session began with a brief presentation of the results so far accumulated from the ongoing research programme. Thus, all participants were given a common platform for the discussion.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Public Health Science

Folkhälsovetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)