Behaviours preceding suicides at railway and underground locations: a multimethodological qualitative approach

Mackenzie, J.-M., Borrill, J., Hawkins, E., Fields, B., Kruger, I., Noonan, I. and Marzano, L. 2018. Behaviours preceding suicides at railway and underground locations: a multimethodological qualitative approach. BMJ Open. 8 (4) e021076. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021076

TitleBehaviours preceding suicides at railway and underground locations: a multimethodological qualitative approach
TypeJournal article
AuthorsMackenzie, J.-M., Borrill, J., Hawkins, E., Fields, B., Kruger, I., Noonan, I. and Marzano, L.
Abstract

Objectives: Suicides by train have devastating consequences for families, the rail industry, staff dealing with the aftermath of such incidents and potential witnesses. To reduce suicides and suicide attempts by rail, it is important to learn how safe interventions can be made. However, very little is known about how to identify someone who may be about to make a suicide attempt at a railway location (including underground/subways). The current research employed a novel way of understanding what behaviours might immediately precede a suicide or suicide attempt at these locations.

Design and methods: A qualitative thematic approach was used for three parallel studies. Data were gathered from several sources, including interviews with individuals who survived a rail suicide attempt (n=9), CCTV footage of individuals who died by rail suicide (n=16) and qualitative survey data providing views from rail staff (n=79).

Results: Our research suggests that there are several behaviours that people may carry out before a suicide or suicide attempt at a rail location, including station hopping and platform switching, limiting contact with others, positioning themselves at the end of the track where the train/tube approaches, allowing trains to pass by and carrying out repetitive behaviours.

Conclusions: There are several behaviours that may be identifiable in the moments leading up to a suicide or suicide attempt on the railways which may present opportunities for intervention. These findings have implications for several stakeholders, including rail providers, transport police and other organisations focused on suicide prevention.

Article numbere021076
JournalBMJ Open
Journal citation8 (4)
ISSN2044-6055
Year2018
PublisherBMJ
Publisher's version
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021076
Publication dates
Published10 Apr 2018
LicenseCC BY-NC 4.0

Related outputs

The spectrum of care within a university context: the differing roles of carers in supporting students who self-harm
Edwards-Bailey, Laura, Smyth, Nina, Cartwright, Tina and Mackenzie, Jay-Marie 2023. The spectrum of care within a university context: the differing roles of carers in supporting students who self-harm. International Journal of Care and Caring. 7 (4), pp. 708-734. https://doi.org/10.1332/239788221x16890865425257

Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads
Norman, H., Winter, R, Marzano, L., Crivatu, I, Mackenzie, J.-M. and Marsh, I 2023. Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads. British Journal of Psychiatry. 9 (3) e81. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.52

Male survivors of sexual violence: a rapid review of prevalence, disclosure and factors influencing help seeking for ethnic minorities
Jennings, S., Widanaralalage Don, K., Mackenzie, J.-M. and Dando, C.J. 2023. Male survivors of sexual violence: a rapid review of prevalence, disclosure and factors influencing help seeking for ethnic minorities. NIHR.

A qualitative exploration of student self-harm and experiences of support-seeking within a UK university setting
Edwards-Bailey, L., Cartwright, T., Smyth, N. and Mackenzie, J.-M. 2023. A qualitative exploration of student self-harm and experiences of support-seeking within a UK university setting. Counselling Psychology Quarterly. 36 (4), pp. 638-662. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2022.2146054

"My intention was positive and I acted on it"- Intervening to Prevent Suicide at Railway Locations: Findings from a qualitative study with frontline staff and rail commuters
Mackenzie, J.-M. 2022. "My intention was positive and I acted on it"- Intervening to Prevent Suicide at Railway Locations: Findings from a qualitative study with frontline staff and rail commuters. BJPsych Open. 8 (e62). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.27

Intervening to prevent suicide at railway locations: findings from a qualitative study with front-line staff and rail commuters.
Katsampa, D., Mackenzie, J., Crivatu, I. and Marzano, L. 2022. Intervening to prevent suicide at railway locations: findings from a qualitative study with front-line staff and rail commuters. BJPsych Open. 8 (2) e62. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.27

Understanding suicidality and reasons for living amongst Doctoral Researchers: A thematic analysis of qualitative U‐DOC survey data
Hazell, C.M., Berry, C., Niven, Jeremy E. and Mackenzie, Jay‐Marie 2021. Understanding suicidality and reasons for living amongst Doctoral Researchers: A thematic analysis of qualitative U‐DOC survey data. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12437

First-person accounts of the processes and planning involved in a suicide attempt on the railway.
Marsh, I., Marzano, L., Mosse, David and Mackenzie, Jay-Marie 2021. First-person accounts of the processes and planning involved in a suicide attempt on the railway. BJPsych Open. 7 (1), p. e39 e39. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.173

Rapport building and witness memory: Actions may ‘speak’ louder than words
Nahouli, Z., Dando, C.J., Mackenzie, J.-M. and Aresti, A. 2021. Rapport building and witness memory: Actions may ‘speak’ louder than words. PLoS ONE. 16 (8) e0256084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256084

Understanding suicidality and reasons for living amongst Doctoral Researchers: A thematic analysis of qualitative U-DOC survey data
Hazell, C.M., Berry, C., Niven, J. E. and Mackenzie, J.-M. 2021. Understanding suicidality and reasons for living amongst Doctoral Researchers: A thematic analysis of qualitative U-DOC survey data. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 21 (4), pp. 757-767. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12437

Patterns and motivations for method choices in suicidal thoughts and behaviour: Qualitative content analysis of a large online survey
Marzano, L., Katsampa, D., Mackenzie, J.-M., Kruger, I., El-Gharbawi, N., Ffolkes-St-Helene, D., Mohiddin, H. and Fields, B. 2021. Patterns and motivations for method choices in suicidal thoughts and behaviour: Qualitative content analysis of a large online survey. BJPsych Open. 7 (2) e60. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.15

Nursing assistants’ experiences of administering manual restraint for compulsory nasogastric feeding of young persons with anorexia nervosa
Kodua, M., Mackenzie, J.-M. and Smyth, N. 2020. Nursing assistants’ experiences of administering manual restraint for compulsory nasogastric feeding of young persons with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 29 (6), pp. 1181-1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12758

Nursing assistants’ experiences of administering manual restraint for compulsory nasogastric feeding of young persons with anorexia nervosa
Kodua, M., Mackenzie, J.-M. and Smyth, N. 2020. Nursing assistants’ experiences of administering manual restraint for compulsory nasogastric feeding of young persons with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 29 (6), pp. 1181-1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12758

Factors deterring and prompting the decision to attempt suicide on the railway networks: findings from 353 online surveys and 34 semi-structured interviews
Marzano, L., Mackenzie, J.-M., Kruger, I., Borrill, J. and Fields, B. 2019. Factors deterring and prompting the decision to attempt suicide on the railway networks: findings from 353 online surveys and 34 semi-structured interviews. British Journal of Psychiatry. 215 (4), pp. 582-587. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.303

Health inequalities and health equity challenges for victims of modern slavery
Dando, C.J., Brierley, Robin, Saunders, Karen and Mackenzie, J.-M. 2018. Health inequalities and health equity challenges for victims of modern slavery. Journal of Public Health. 41 (4), pp. 681-688. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdy187

Exploring suicidal behaviours by probation clients—a qualitative near-lethal study
Mackenzie, J.-M., Borrill, J. and Cartwright, T. 2018. Exploring suicidal behaviours by probation clients—a qualitative near-lethal study. The Journal of Public Health. 40 (1), pp. 146-153. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdx005

How to help offenders on probation who are at high risk of suicide
Mackenzie, J.-M. 2017. How to help offenders on probation who are at high risk of suicide. The Conversation.

Relationships in the context of suicide risk
Borrill, J., Mackenzie, J.-M., Cook, L. and Beck, A. 2015. Relationships in the context of suicide risk. Probation Journal. 62 (1), pp. 71-78. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264550515570194

Probation staff experiences of managing suicidal and self-harming service users
Mackenzie, J.-M., Cartwright, T., Beck, A. and Borrill, J. 2015. Probation staff experiences of managing suicidal and self-harming service users. Probation Journal. 62 (2), pp. 111-127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264550515571396

Using Survivor Accounts to Understand Suicidal Behaviour by Offenders in Community Settings
Mackenzie, J.-M. 2013. Using Survivor Accounts to Understand Suicidal Behaviour by Offenders in Community Settings. World Congress of the International Association of Suicide Prevention. Oslo, Norway 24 - 28 Sep 2013

Researching suicide, attempted suicide and near-lethal self-harm by offenders in community settings: Challenges for future research
Mackenzie, J.-M., Borrill, J. and Dewart, H. 2013. Researching suicide, attempted suicide and near-lethal self-harm by offenders in community settings: Challenges for future research. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 12 (1), pp. 26-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2012.760184

Researching suicide, attempted suicide and near-lethal self-harm by offenders in community settings: challenges for future research
Mackenzie, J.-M., Borrill, J. and Dewart, H. 2013. Researching suicide, attempted suicide and near-lethal self-harm by offenders in community settings: challenges for future research. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 12 (1), pp. 26-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2012.760184

Near Miss Suicide of Offenders Doing Community Sentences
Mackenzie, J.-M. 2011. Near Miss Suicide of Offenders Doing Community Sentences. 11th Annual international Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference. Barcelona 29 Jun - 01 Jul 2011

Near-miss suicides in offenders doing community sentences
Mackenzie, J.-M. and Borrill, J. 2011. Near-miss suicides in offenders doing community sentences. International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference. Barcelona 29 Jun - 01 Jul 2011

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/q5vv1/behaviours-preceding-suicides-at-railway-and-underground-locations-a-multimethodological-qualitative-approach


Share this

Usage statistics

161 total views
171 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.