Installation of a bridge barrier as a suicide prevention strategy in Montréal, Québec, Canada

S. Perron, S. Burrows, M. Fournier, P.-A. Perron and F. Ouellet

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 7, 1235-1239

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. Copyright © 2012 by the American Public Health Association®.

Keywords: article; building material; Canada; environmental planning; human; Poisson distribution; statistics; suicide, Construction Materials; Environment Design; Humans; Poisson Distribution; Quebec; Suicide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301089_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301089

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