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The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center has not only pioneered in the response to self-destructive behavior but has contributed to its study. Tabachnick and his collaborators further such contributions in Accident or Suicide? Destruction by Automobile. The book revolves around a “specific theory of the etiology of accident—namely, that in many, perhaps even most accidents, suicide or suicide-like factors are in evidence.” The importance of the problem may be conveyed by loss of lives, over 50,000 each year in accidents; and the two million who are disabled each year for one or more days.
In an exemplary manner, the authors clearly state their research strategy, development and identification of hypotheses, criteria for selection of the sample, results and accompanying qualifications.
Basically, the report evaluates and compares self-destructive factors among three groups of subjects: a critical accident group, a critical suicide group and a post-appendectomy group. The recognition of both comparison and control group places this study at a more sophisiticated level than most; the effort was well expended.
In addition to clinical interviewing by psychoanalysts, data were recorded and items checked for reliability by analysts, psychologists and lay raters. Debriefing sessions were held as a means of gathering “soft” but important impressions as well as notions for future research. A limited companion study was directed to significant others of the members of the sample.
Drivers injured in one-car accidents averaged 27.9 years; the suicide attempt and appendectomy groups were similar. There was a high percentage of subjects in relatively low social class and when compared to a total Los Angeles Survey sample, a larger group of blacks and Mexican-Americans.
Data sheet responses revealed significant increases in drinking within two days prior to either accident or suicide attempt. Seventy five percent of the accident group drank every day; in the suicide attempt and appende