title: Effect of barriers on the Clifton suspension bridge, England, on local patterns of suicide: implications for prevention.
abstract: We assessed the effect of the installation of barriers on the Clifton suspension bridge, Bristol, England, in 1998 on local suicides by jumping. Deaths from this bridge halved from 8.2 per year (1994-1998) to 4.0 per year (1999-2003; P=0.008). Although 90% of the suicides from the bridge were by males, there was no evidence of an increase in male suicide by jumping from other sites in the Bristol area after the erection of the barriers. This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of barriers on bridges in preventing site-specific suicides and suicides by jumping overall in the surrounding area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, UK.
authors.forename: Olive
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bennewith
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowers
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gunnell
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention